US stock indices rose slightly on Thursday in thin trading ahead of Easter break.
At 10:03 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 25.28 points, or 0.06 per cent, at 39,785.36, the S&P 500 was up 6.02 points, or 0.11 per cent, at 5,254.51, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 10.75 points, or 0.07 per cent, at 16,410.27.
At the opening bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 3.66 points, or 0.01 per cent, to 39,763.74. The S&P 500 opened lower by 0.46 points, or 0.01 per cent, at 5,248.03, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 22.29 points, or 0.14 per cent, to 16,377.23.
The US economy grew at a solid 3.4 per cent annual pace in the fourth quarter (rom October through December), the government said showed on Thursday in an upgrade from its previous estimate.
Investors are awaiting the US core personal consumption expenditure (PCE) price index data, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, for February. The PCE data is due on Friday.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.22 per cent from 4.19 per cent late on Wednesday. The yield on the 2-year Treasury rose to 4.61 per cent from 4.57 per cent.
Europe’s stock markets advanced on Thursday.
Britain’s FTSE 100 edged up 0.3 per cent at 7,952.37 points. France’s CAC 40 added 0.2 per cent at 8,223.63. Germany’s DAX rose 0.1 per cent at 18,500.32.
Euro Stoxx 50 rose 0.2 percent at 5,091.46.
In Asia, stock indices were mixed on Thursday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.9 per cent at 16,541.42. China’s Shanghai Composite added 0.6 per cent at 3,010.66.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.5 per cent at 40,168.07.
Crude oil prices advanced on expectations OPEC supply cuts would tighten the global market.
West Texas Intermediate futures rose to trade near $83 a barrel after a modest two-day drop, with Brent crude above $87.
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