US markets gain on better than expected jobless claims data

19 Jul 2013 Evaluate

The US markets gained on Thursday, lifting benchmark indexes to record highs, after jobless claims fell and earnings from corporations topped expectations as investors heard from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. The US economy is continuing to grow at a modest to moderate pace, the Federal Reserve reported, in an assessment that is likely to keep it continuing its loose monetary policy. The so-called Beige Book found expanding manufacturing, rising consumer spending, stable to growing services activity, and moderate to strong residential real estate and construction. Bernanke spent a second day on Capitol Hill, discussing the outlook and Fed rate policy with the Senate Banking Committee. The Fed chief stated that economic data since the last Fed rate-policy meeting have been mixed and it was way too early to make a judgment on when the central bank will slow down the pace of its asset purchases.

On the economy front, US Department of Labor reported that the number of people who applied for regular state unemployment insurance benefits dropped in the latest weekly data to the lowest level since early May, signaling a slower pace of layoffs. Initial jobless claims fell 24,000 to 334,000 in the week that ended July 13. That 24,000-drop is the largest decrease since early April. Besides, Philadelphia-area manufacturers reported their most upbeat conditions in more than two years in July, in a reading that shows US firms may be expanding in the second half despite headwinds from overseas and rising interest rates at home. The Philadelphia Fed’s manufacturing survey in July surged to 19.8 from 12.5 in June, marking the highest level since March 2011, the regional bank stated. Separately, the Conference Board stated that the economy is seeing positive but moderate growth, and continued expansion is expected this year. The Board reported that its leading economic index was unchanged in June.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 78.02 points or 0.50 percent to 15,548.50, the Nasdaq was up 1.28 points or 0.04 percent to 3,611.28 and the S&P 500 added 8.46 points or 0.50 percent to 1,689.37.

The Indian ADRs ended mostly in green on Thursday, HDFC Bank was up 2.12%, Infosys was up 0.78%, ICICI Bank was up by 0.56% and Dr. Reddy’s Lab was up 0.38%. On the other hand, Sterlite Industries was down 0.15%.

© 2026 The Alchemists Ark Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. MoneyWorks4Me ® is a registered trademark of The Alchemists Ark Pvt. Ltd.

×