Mar. 18, 2010 (United Press International) -- The Dow Jones industrial average extended a positive steak to eight days Thursday, after two government reports showed signs of economic stability.
The Labor Department said first-time jobless claims dropped for the third consecutive week. A Department of Commerce report said consumer prices were flat in February with core prices, which exclude energy and food items, up only 0.1 percent.
By close, the DJIA added 45.50 points, 0.42 percent, to 10,779.17. The Standard & Poor's 500 index dropped 0.03 percent, 0.38 points, to 1,165.83. The Nasdaq composite index added 2.19 points, 0.09 percent, to 2,391.28.
Dow components Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) lost 1.1 percent, while Alcoa Inc. (NYSE:AA) (AMEX:AA.PR) shares shed 1.11 percent. Blue-chip winners included Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ) , up 0.96 percent and du Pont, up 1.59 percent.
On the New York Stock Exchange, 1,281 shares advanced and 1,737 declined on a volume of 4.2 billion shares traded.
The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note fell 9/32 to yield 3.676 percent.
The euro fell to $1.3611 compared to Wednesday's $1.3741. Against the yen, the dollar rose to 90.38 yen compared with Wednesday's 90.27 yen.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index lost 102.95 points, 0.95 percent, to 10,744.03.
In Britain, the FTSE 100 index lost 0.04 percent, 2.01, to 5,642.62.
