By Anora Mahmudova and Barbara Kollmeyer, MarketWatch
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- After a shaky start to the session,
the U.S. stock market moved slightly higher on Thursday, pushing
the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average into record
territory.
European Central Bank president Mario Draghi's dovish comments
after the bank left the key interest rate unchanged, as well as
better-than-expected economic data in the U.S., helped to lift
equities.
ECB President Mario Draghi reiterated that ECB policy makers are
unanimously committed to using unconventional measures if needed to
maintain price stability. In other words, the ECB could use
outright QE, if deemed necessary. Read: Don't mess with Mario
Draghi
The S&P 500 (SPX), the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI)
hovered near fresh intraday records. The Nasdaq Composite (RIXF)
edged higher.
Need to Know: Gold doesn't stand a chance, but utilities do
In economic news, the number of Americans applying for new
jobless benefits lingered below 300,000 for the eighth straight
week amid the lowest level of layoffs in years. U.S. productivity
in the third quarter grew at a 2% annual pace, preliminary data
show, marking the fourth sizable increase in the past five
quarters.
Tesla, Whole Foods among stocks to watch: Tesla (TSLA) was up
after the electric-car maker's results topped expectations, though
it lowered its delivery forecast for 2014.
Whole Foods(WFM) climbed after the upscale grocer reported a
rise in third-quarter earnings and lifted its quarterly
dividend.
Hospira Inc.'s (HSP) shares surged after the pharmaceutical
company reported profit of 158.6 billion, beating analysts'
estimates.
Apple Inc. (AAPL) was little changed after Palo Alto Networks
Inc. (PANW) said it had discovered a new malware threat that could
affect millions of Apple Inc. devices.
(Read more about the day's notable stocks in Movers &
Shakers column:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/walt-disney-zynga-tesla-in-focus-2014-11-06.)
Other markets:Europe stocks remained lower after the European
Central Bank left rates unchanged.
The Nikkei 225 fell 0.9%, pulling back after gaining more than
10% in the previous five sessions. The losses came despite a
seven-year high for the U.S. dollar (USDJPY) against the yen, which
tapped Yen115 before pulling back.
Oil(CLZ4) prices were steady, while gold(GCZ4) was slightly
lower.
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