EQUITIES

The Dow and the S&P 500 rose on Thursday after Bank of America and General Electric rallied on positive broker comments, while the Nasdaq slipped as investors were cautious a day before the release of key monthly non-farm payrolls data.

The Dow and the S&P 500 rose on Thursday after Bank of America and General Electric rallied on positive broker comments, while the Nasdaq slipped as investors were cautious a day before the release of key monthly non-farm payrolls data.

GameStop Corp said on Thursday holiday sales failed to improve from 2008, and cut its fourth-quarter profit forecast, sending shares of the biggest U.S. videogame retailer to a 13-month low.

The Dow and S&P 500 edged higher on Thursday after a better-than-expected read on weekly jobless claims, a day before the release of key monthly non-farm payrolls data.

Stocks were little changed on Thursday after the government said jobless claims rose slightly, with investors in a holding pattern ahead of key monthly non-farm payroll data on Friday.

Stocks were down on Thursday alongside weak global markets as the U.S. dollar strengthened after the government reported a slight increase in initial jobless claims.

Wall Street opened slightly lower on Thursday as the U.S. dollar strengthened after the government reported that initial jobless claims rose less than expected.

Lennar Corp posted its first quarterly profit in almost three years, helped mainly by a tax benefit, and the news drove up its shares and those of other large homebuilders.

Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Thursday alongside weak global markets as the dollar rallied after the government reported initial jobless claims rose less than expected.

Stock index futures held early losses on Thursday after the government reported that the number of people filing initial claims for unemployment insurance rose less than expected.

Stock index futures dipped on Thursday along with global markets, as investors awaited data expected to show a rise in initial jobless claims, one day before the closely watched monthly non-farm payrolls report.

Stock index futures dipped on Thursday along with global markets, as investors awaited data expected to show a rise in initial jobless claims, one day before the closely watched monthly non-farm payrolls report.

Cadbury shares dipped below Kraft Foods' 10.6 billion-pound ($17 billion) bid price for the first time on Thursday as prospects of a rival bid receded and analysts reckoned Kraft now needed only to slightly sweeten its offer to win.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower opening on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones industrial average and Nasdaq 100 down 0.4 to 0.5 percent.

Cadbury shares dipped below the level of Kraft Foods' 10.6 billion-pound ($17 billion) bid for the first time on Thursday as prospects of a rival bid receded and analysts reckoned Kraft now needs only to slightly sweeten its offer to win.

The Dow and S&P 500 inched higher, while the Nasdaq dipped on Wednesday after Federal Reserve officials said they were still worried about labor market weakness and a report on the services sector showed only slight improvement in the economy.

U.S. stocks slipped on Wednesday after ISM data showed the U.S. services sector grew in December, but at a marginal pace, and a report said the rate of job losses slowed at U.S. private employers.

(Corrects paragraph 6 to show ADP report said private-sector job losses slowed in December from November, but were not smaller than expected)

The Dow and S&P 500 edged higher, while the Nasdaq slipped on Wednesday after Federal Reserve officials said they were still worried about labor market weakness and a report on the services sector showed only slight improvement in the economy.

The Dow and the S&P 500 ended little changed on Wednesday and the Nasdaq dipped after a report on the vast services sector showed only slight improvement in the U.S. economy.

Buy stocks and don't worry about inflation -- that's the advice of the chief stock picker of the world's biggest fund firm, BlackRock Inc .

Wall Street was little changed on Wednesday after Federal Reserve officials said they were still worried about labor market weakness and a report on the services sector showed only slight improvement in the economy.

BlackRock Inc's vice chairman and chief investment officer for global equities Bob Doll said on Wednesday he sees the Standard & Poor's 500 stock index reaching a level of 1,250 by year-end.

Stocks slipped on Wednesday after ISM data showed the U.S. services sector grew in December, but at a marginal pace, and a report said the rate of job losses slowed at U.S. private employers.

Family Dollar Stores Inc reported a higher-than-expected first-quarter profit and forecast earnings that should top Wall Street estimates again this quarter, sending its shares up 13 percent.

Stocks were little changed on Wednesday after data showed the U.S. services sector grew in December, but at a marginal pace.

Family Dollar Stores Inc reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit and forecast earnings that should top Wall Street estimates again this quarter, sending its shares up 11 percent.

Stocks stayed little changed on Wednesday after data showed the services sector expanded marginally in December following a surprise contraction in November.

Stocks open little changed on Wednesday after a private report showed a smaller-than-expected slowdown in job losses in December.