U.S. stocks rise on better-than-expected jobless data

On Thursday, October 11, U.S. stocks extended gains after data showed jobless claims fell to a four-year low. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.4%, to 13,401.9; the Standard & Poor 500 Index jumped 0.7%,, to stand at 1,441.95, while Nasdaq 100 futures added 0.8%, to 3,074.86. The total number of Initial applications for jobless benefits declined 30,000 to 339,000, above analysts' expectations for a fall of 1,000 to 370,000.