U.S. stocks ended mixed on Thursday, after a government report showed that the U.S. economy is gaining strength. In U.S. economic news, the Conference Board said its index of leading indicators increased 0.5 percent in May, an improvement from a 0.3 percent gain in April. Meanwhile, the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits dropped more than expected last week, falling 6,000 to 312,000 for the week ended June 14, the Labor Department said. The dollar rose versus the Yen, but fell versus the Euro, and the Pound. Light sweet crude oil for July delivery rose to $106.62 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold futures rose to $1,317.20 an ounce. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 14.84, or 0.1 percent, to 16,921.46. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 2.50, or 0.1 percent, to 1,959.48. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index fell 3.51, or 0.1 percent, to 4,359.33.
