U.S. markets ended higher on Thursday, supported by a drop in Treasury yields and oil prices as well as gains in key technology stocks. Traders took support with a report released by the Labor Department showed the number of people claiming unemployment benefits fell by 10,000 to 196,000 in the second week of September, the least since the 60-year low of 189,000 from July, and well under market expectations of 208,000. Some support also came as a report released by the National Association of Realtors showed US pending home sales rose 0.3% month over month in August 2026, rebounding from a revised 2.6% decline in July but falling short of market expectations for a 2.0% increase. Sales increased in the South (2.3%) and West (3.0%), partly offsetting declines in the Northeast (-4.2%) and Midwest (-1.6%). Traders overlooked a report released by the Commerce Department showed new residential construction in the U.S. unexpectedly saw further downside in the month of August. Housing starts in the US decreased 2.6% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 1.275 million units in August 2026, extending a 9% plunge in July and reaching the lowest since October last year.
Nasdaq rose by 439.87 points or 1.69 percent to 26,418.29, S&P 500 was up by 85.95 points or 1.14 percent to 7,637.76 and Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 316.14 points or 0.61 percent to 51,778.04.
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