LONDON (ShareCast) - US stocks rallied on Thursday, with the S&P closing at a record high as investors were buoyed by a positive jobless claims report.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 191.75 points to 18,252.24, while the S&P 500 clinched a record high finish after closing up 22.6 points and the Nasdaq climbed 68 points.

Having fallen sharply on Wednesday, the dollar was feeling the pinch on Thursday, losing 0.22% against the pound and 0.52% against the euro, although it was flat against the yen, while gold futures climbed 0.25% to $1,221.30.

Initial weekly unemployment claims slipped by 1,000 in the week ending on 9 May to reach 264,000, according to the Department of Labour, compared with expectations of a 270,000 reading.

The four week moving average fell by 7,750 to hit 271,750, its lowest level since 22 April, 2000.

"The decline should reassure those worried about the strength of the US recovery," said Paul Ashworth, chief US economist at Capital Economics.

"While retail sales and non-farm payrolls are both coincident indicators, this is a genuine leading indicator."

Meanwhile, the slide in factory gate prices in the US accelerated in April due to a sharp fall in gasoline prices.

Final demand producer prices fell at a 1.3% year-on-year pace, in comparison to a 0.8% drop in March, according to the Bureau for Labour Statistics.

In company news, restaurant operator Shake Shack relinquished early gains to slump 4.18%, despite reporting late on Wednesday that its first quarter results exceeded expectations, while clothing maker Perry Ellis jumped 8.78% after reporting an increase in first quarter earnings.

IT group Cisco Systems declined 1.02% reporting a first quarter loss on Wednesday, while department store chain Kohl's plunged 13.27% after its first quarter sales fell short of expectations.

Oil prices fell, with West Texas Intermediate slipping 1.19% to $59.79 a barrel, while Brent fell 0.34% to $66.58 a barrel.

S&P 500 - Risers
First Solar Inc. (FSLR) $54.70 +10.19%
Expeditors International Of Washington Inc. (EXPD) $47.88 +5.29%
Peabody Energy Corp. (BTU) $7.84 +5.09%
Home Depot Inc. (HD) $116.75 +3.98%
United States Steel Corp. (X) $25.13 +3.50%
Freeport-McMoRan Inc (FCX) $21.22 +3.06%
CONSOL Energy Inc. (CNX) $34.34 +3.00%
Exelon Corp. (EXC) $34.79 +2.99%
Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. (COG) $28.40 +2.97%
Coach Inc. (COH) $42.95 +2.97%





S&P 500 - Risers
Avon Products Inc. (AVP) $7.60 +13.94%
Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) $67.28 +4.29%
Boston Scientific Corp. (BSX) $17.91 +3.95%
St Jude Medical Inc. (STJ) $74.49 +3.80%
Facebook Inc. (FB) $81.37 +3.74%
Tesoro Corp. (TSO) $91.93 +3.52%
Carnival Corp. (CCL) $47.37 +3.50%
Abbott Laboratories (ABT) $48.67 +3.49%
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. (CTSH) $63.82 +3.19%
Altria Group Inc. (MO) $52.60 +3.14%

S&P 500 - Fallers
Kohls Corp. (KSS) $64.62 -13.27%
Ensco Plc. (ESV) $26.02 -4.86%
Noble Corporation plc (NE) $17.10 -4.42%
Best Buy Co. Inc. (BBY) $34.82 -3.81%
Rowan Companies plc (RDC) $23.02 -3.80%
Target Corp. (TGT) $77.26 -3.21%
Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. (DO) $33.47 -2.93%
Transocean Ltd. (RIG) $20.81 -2.71%
Range Resources Corp. (RRC) $61.03 -2.66%
Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) $74.15 -2.65%

Dow Jones I.A - Risers
Apple Inc. (AAPL) $128.95 +2.33%
Unitedhealth Group Inc. (UNH) $118.53 +2.30%
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) $48.72 +2.30%
Visa Inc. (V) $70.00 +1.97%
Boeing Co. (BA) $147.96 +1.61%
United Technologies Corp. (UTX) $119.14 +1.51%
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) $101.83 +1.27%
Nike Inc. (NKE) $103.44 +1.25%
Pfizer Inc. (PFE) $33.94 +1.22%
3M Co. (MMM) $163.15 +1.14%

Dow Jones I.A - Fallers
Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) $29.05 -1.02%

Nasdaq 100 - Risers
Maxim Integrated Products Inc. (MXIM) $34.10 +4.87%
Vimpelcom Ltd Ads (VIP) $6.04 +4.32%
Facebook Inc. (FB) $81.37 +3.74%
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. (CTSH) $63.82 +3.19%
Avago Technologies Ltd. (AVGO) $126.94 +3.09%
Adobe Systems Inc. (ADBE) $79.43 +3.05%
Akamai Technologies Inc. (AKAM) $78.36 +2.94%
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (REGN) $491.43 +2.93%
Xilinx Inc. (XLNX) $44.99 +2.88%
Liberty Interactive Corp (QVCA) $28.37 +2.72%

Nasdaq 100 - Fallers
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX) $123.00 -2.01%
Wynn Resorts Ltd. (WYNN) $108.79 -1.96%
Ross Stores Inc. (ROST) $99.33 -1.89%
Micron Technology Inc. (MU) $26.69 -1.84%
Staples Inc. (SPLS) $16.36 -1.42%
Dollar Tree Inc (DLTR) $76.97 -1.13%
Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) $29.05 -1.02%
Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST) $142.54 -0.49%
Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) $19.86 -0.35%
Charter Communications Inc. (CHTR) $176.79 -0.35%

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