Stocks advanced Thursday as investors seemed to focus more on some big-name earnings beats and a rise in leading indicators instead of a disappointing jobless report.

Stocks slipped Thursday as investors weighed a disappointing jobless-claims report and some encouraging earnings reports.

Earnings continue to come in largely above expectations, but other factors are waylaying the stock market's recent advances - ranging from Walmart's price cuts to analyst Richard Bove's downgrade of Wells Fargo to rising oil prices. 

Stocks rallied for a third day Wednesday, jumping more than 1 percent, as industrial production rose for a second straight month and weakness in the dollar boosted commodity and industrial stocks.

Stocks continued to rise Wednesday, after major indexes hit new highs for the year Tuesday, as oil prices topped $71 a barrel and industrial production rose for a second straight month.

Wall Street looked set for a higher open Wednesday, after major indexes hit new highs for the year Tuesday, encouraged by Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke's remarks that the US recession was probably over.

An experimental cancer pill shrank tumors in patients whose skin cancer had spread, raising hope for a new class of drugs that may have an effect on many other cancers as well.

Virtually every large pharmaceutical company seems to have discovered cancer, and a substantial portion of the smaller biotechnology companies are focused on it as well. Together, the companies are pouring billions of dollars into developing cancer drugs.

At this point, stock index futures are pointing to modest gains at the open on Friday, as most markets in both Asia and Europe rose, with investors awaiting more macroeconomic data for clearer near-term market direction.

Researchers discovered a compound that can kill breast cancer stem cells which resist conventional treatment. The finding could lead to stronger treatments for the disease.

Federal health regulators on Friday approved a potential blockbuster diabetes drug from Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and partner Astrazeneca PLC.

The Dow topped 9,000 for the first time since January as investors shrugged off a rise in jobless claims and cheered earnings from Ford and 3M. A third straight rise in existing-home sales also buoyed the market.

The Dow topped 9,000 for the first time since January as investors shrugged off a rise in jobless claims and cheered earnings from Ford and 3M. A third straight rise in existing-home sales also buoyed the market.

Stocks rallied Thursday as investors shrugged off a rise in jobless claims and focused on encouraging earnings from Ford and 3M. A third straight rise in existing-home sales also buoyed the market.

Bristol-Myers Squibb on Thursday posted a 29 percent jump in second-quarter profit due to higher sales of several key products and significant cost-cutting that overcame effects of the strong dollar.