U.S. stocks closed little changed Thursday, as investors awaited a key U.S. employment report. The U.S. Labor Department is scheduled to release its September job-creation report Friday morning, with economists expecting the U.S. economy added 175,000 positions and the unemployment rate held steady at 4.9 percent. In U.S. economic news Thursday, jobless claims fell unexpectedly last week to a level last seen in mid-April and close to a 43-year low. Investors closely watched oil prices. U.S. crude futures closed above $50 for the first time since June, supported by news of another informal OPEC meeting on output cuts and a surprise drop in U.S. inventories reported a day earlier. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 61 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $50.44 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the best closing price since June 9. Gold fell for the eighth consecutive session, declining to a four-month low, pressured by a stronger U.S. dollar after jobless claims fell and ahead of key data that could put the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) on track to raise interest rates this year. Gold for December delivery fell $15.60, or 1.2 percent, to $1,253 an ounce. The Dow Jones industrial average was little changed, falling 12.53 to $18.268.50. Sixteen of the index's 30 components fell, led by American Express and Wal-Mart, whose shares plunged 3.8 and 3.2 percent, respectively. Gainers were led by Home Depot, which advanced 2 percent. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index also was little changed, rising 1.04 to 2.160.77. Materials led seven sectors higher, and healthcare led four sectors lower. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index fell 9.17, or 0.2 percent, to 5,306.85. Shares of Apple rose 0.7 percent, but Twitter stock plummeted more than 20 percent on reports that three major technology firms were unlikely to bid for the social-media company. A biotechnology index fell more than 2 percent.
