US markets end higher on Thursday

24 Sep 2021 Evaluate

The US markets ended higher on Thursday, extending their previous session’s gains, as traders largely shrugged off a report from the Labor Department showing first-time claims for US unemployment benefits unexpectedly increased for the second straight week in the week ended September 18th. The Labor Department said initial jobless claims rose to 351,000, an increase of 16,000 from the previous week's revised level of 335,000. With the uptick, jobless claims climbed further off the pandemic-era low of 312,000 set in the week ended September 4th.

The continued rebound surprised participants, who had expected jobless claims to dip to 320,000 from the 332,000 originally reported for the previous month. Traders also continue to digest the Federal Reserve's monetary policy announcement on Wednesday, when the central bank signaled tapering asset purchases could be coming soon. Besides, the strength on markets also came amid easing concerns about Evergrande after the Chinese property developer reached a settlement with mainland bondholders. The People's Bank of China's infusion of massive capital into the country's banking system has also eased concerns about a potential default by Evegrande.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 506.5 points or 1.48 percent to 34,764.82, the Nasdaq gained 155.4 points or 1.04 percent to 15,052.24 and the S&P 500 was up by 53.34 points or 1.21 percent to 4,448.98.

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