Stock indexes were mostly lower Thursday, a day after the market posted its biggest gain in two and a half years. Another rise in applications for weekly unemployment benefits dampened the mood. The Labor Department said initial applications rose to 402,000 last week, the second weekly increase in a row. Costco, Nordstrom and other retailers rose after reporting stronger sales.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 25.65 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 12,020.03.
The S&P 500 index slipped 2.37, or 0.2 percent, to 1,244.59.
The Nasdaq composite index rose 5.86, or 0.2 percent, to 2,626.20
For the week to date:
The Dow Jones industrial average is up 788.25 points, or 7 percent.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index is up 85.92, or 7.4 percent.
The Nasdaq composite index is up 184.69, or 7.6 percent.
For the year to date:
The Dow is up 442.52 points, or 3.8 percent.
The S&P 500 is down 13.05, or 1 percent.
The Nasdaq is down 26.67, or 1 percent.
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