(index / closing price / change items /% change)

Nikkei +1.90 20628.56 +0.01%

TOPIX -2.07 1682.49 -0.12%

Hang Seng +205.97 28379.18 +0.73%

CSI 300 +13.96 3836.50 +0.37%

Euro Stoxx 50 +18.63 3613.54 +0.52%

FTSE 100 +40.41 7507.99 +0.54%

DAX -2.47 12968.05 -0.02%

CAC 40 +15.98 5379.21 +0.30%

DJIA +113.75 22775.39 +0.50%

S&P 500 +14.33 2552.07 +0.56%

NASDAQ +50.73 6585.36 +0.78%

S&P/TSX +55.30 15776.30 +0.35%

The main US stock indices increased noticeably, updating record levels for the fourth day in a row, helped by the growth of technology companies, including Netflix (NFLX), Microsoft (MSFT) and Amazon.com (AMZN).

Additional support for the market provided statistics on the United States. It became known that the number of Americans applying for new unemployment benefits fell in late September, although recent hurricanes continued to undermine economic activity in several regions. Primary claims for unemployment benefits fell by 12,000 to 260,000 people for the week to September 30. Economists were expecting 270,000 new applications last week.

In addition, the Ministry of Trade said that the trade deficit in the US fell by 2.7% in August to $ 42.4 billion from $ 43.6 billion in July. Economists predicted a deficit of $ 42.7 billion. Import fell by 0.1% to 237.7 billion US dollars. Exports rose by 0.4% to $ 195.3 billion. The trade deficit narrowed mainly due to higher US exports of drugs, semiconductors and equipment for telephone networks. Import of goods from China set a new record of 45.8 billion US dollars. The trade deficit with Vietnam was the highest at $ 3.6 billion.

Meanwhile, in August, production orders rose by 1.2% after a sharp decline in the previous month, the Ministry of Commerce said. Economists had expected growth of 1% of total production orders after falling by 3.3% in July. Orders for durable goods, which account for about half of all orders, increased by 2% in August compared to the previous estimate of growth by 1.7%.

Most components of the DOW index recorded a rise (22 out of 30). The leader of growth was the shares of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS, + 2.34%). Outsider were shares UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, (UNH, -1.38%).

Almost all sectors of the S & P index finished trading in positive territory. The technological sector grew most (+ 0.7%). The decrease was shown only by the utilities sector (-0.1%).

At closing:

DJIA + 0.50% 22.775.80 +114.16

Nasdaq + 0.78% 6,585.36 +50.73

S & P + 0.57% 2.552.11 +14.37

U.S. stock-index futures were higher on Thursday, following three straight days of record highs for the three major indexes, while investors awaited comments by several Federal Reserve officials as well as Friday's jobs report.

Global Stocks:

Nikkei 20,628.56 +1.90 +0.01%

Hang Seng -

Shanghai -

S&P/ASX 5,651.77 -0.292 -0.01%

FTSE 7,493.05 +25.47 +0.34%

CAC 5,364.20 +0.97 +0.02%

DAX 12,952.98 -17.54 -0.14%

Crude $50.05 (+0.14%)

Gold $1,280.00 (+0.25%)

(company / ticker / price / change ($/%) / volume)

General Motors (GM) target raised to to $44 from $38 at RBC Capital Mkts

Microsoft (MSFT) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Canaccord Genuity

European banks have lagged behind their U.S. counterparts over the past years, but an improving economic landscape, marked by shrinking unemployment, healthy growth and the highest economic confidence in a decade, may help to change that dynamic, said one strategist.

U.S. stocks posted modest gains Wednesday, extending their recent streak of advances that's taken all major benchmarks to record levels. The S&P 500 SPX, +0.12% ended at a record, rising for a seventh consecutive session. The benchmark index rose 3.16 points, or 0.1%, to 2,537.74, with six of its 11 main sectors closing in positive territory. Utilities and real estate shares led the gains, while the financials and technology sectors remained under pressure.

Japanese equities struggled for direction early Thursday despite a weaker yen, even as other markets in the region were broadly higher. The Nikkei Stock Average NIK, -0.07% was nearly unchanged in morning trade at 20,619, with the market facing more resistance as the benchmark index nears its 2015 peak, which was the highest since 1996.