US stocks end near flat as investors assess earnings, data

The S&P 500 lost 12.02 points, or 0.24%, to end at 5,010.19 points, while the Nasdaq lost 82.35 points, or 0.52%, to 15,601.02. The Dow rose 23.87 points, or 0.06%, to 37,777.18. — Reuters

NEW YORK: US stocks closed near the unchanged mark on Thursday, as investors sifted through the latest corporate earnings, while economic data and comments from Federal Reserve officials suggested the central bank was unlikely to cut interest rates in the near future.

Economic data showed that the labor market remained resilient, as weekly initial unemployment claims were unchanged from the prior week at 212,000 while a gauge of manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region rose to a two-year high.