Dow finds positive territory Thursday

It was a marginal drop in a total figure of 450,000 claims filed, but it was the second consecutive week claims fell. In the previous week, first-time claims fell by 27,000.

After spending most of the day in negative territory, the Dow Jones industrial average closed higher, gaining 22.10 points, 0.21 percent, to 10,594.83. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 0.04 percent, 0.41, to 1,124.66. The Nasdaq composite index added 0.08 percent, 1.93 points, to 2,303.25.

On the New York Stock Exchange, 1,259 stocks advanced and 1,718 declined on a volume of 4.1 billion shares traded.

The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note fell 9/32 to yield 2.755 percent.

The euro rose to $1.3087 from Wednesday's $1.3012. Against the yen, the dollar rose to 85.84 yen from Wednesday's 85.59 yen.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index dropped 0.07 percent, 7.06, to 9,509.50.

In Britain, the FTSE 100 index lost 0.28 percent, 15.42, to 5,540.14.

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