Wall Street ticked mostly higher as investors consider both the upsides and downsides of the U.S. economy remaining stronger than feared.
The S&P 500 rose 0.4 percent Thursday after wobbling between small gains and losses. The Dow added 0.8 percent and the Nasdaq ended just barely lower, less than 0.1 percent.
Yields jumped after data showed the U.S. economy grew faster at the year’s start than estimated. Fewer workers applied for unemployment benefits last week.
The data are a positive for investors because they suggest a growing economy can support corporate profits. They could also mean higher interest rates, however.
On Thursday:
The S&P 500 rose 19.58 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,396.44.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 269.76 points, or 0.8 percent, to 34,122.42.
The Nasdaq composite fell 0.42 points, less than 0.1 percent, to 13,591.33.
The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 22.88 points, or 1.2 percent, to 1,881.59.
For the week:
The S&P 500 is up 48.11 points, or 1.1 percent.
The Dow is up 394.99 points, or 1.2 percent.
The Nasdaq is up 98.92 points, or 0.7 percent.
The Russell 2000 is up 59.96 points, or 3.3 percent.
For the year:
The S&P 500 is up 556.94 points, or 14.5 percent.
The Dow is up 975.17 points, or 2.9 percent.
The Nasdaq is up 3,124.85 points, or 29.9 percent.
The Russell 2000 is up 120.35 points, or 6.8 percent.
