Dow Jones Industrial Average falls 80 points
The Dow slid 80.12 points, or 0.3%, to close at 27,896.72. The S&P 500 dropped 0.2% to 3,373.43. The Nasdaq Composite added 0.3% to end the day at 11,042.50. The S&P 500 failed to break above its all-time high once again despite stronger-than-expected unemployment data.
Initial jobless claims below 1 million
Initial U.S. weekly jobless claims fell to 963,000, the Labor Department said. That's below a Dow Jones estimate of 1.1 million. It was also the first time since March that jobless claims came in below 1 million. Thursday's data was the latest indication of an improving labor market. To be sure, investors continued to keep a watchful eye on Washington, where the nation's top lawmakers continue to haggle over a new coronavirus-relief package for American households and businesses.
Cisco and airlines drop
Shares of Cisco Systems dropped 11% after the tech company issued weaker-than-expected earnings guidance for the current quarter. United Airlines, Delta and American all fell more than 1%.
What happens next?
Retail sales and consumer sentiment are among the economic numbers set for release on Friday.
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