U.S. stocks closed mixed Thursday following remarks by new Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. In U.S. economic news, Mnuchin said in an interview with CNBC that he wants to see "very significant" tax reform passed before Congress' August recess. Weekly jobless claims remain near their lowest levels in more than 40 years. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said in a meeting with manufacturing chief executives that he wants a weaker dollar, which would benefit American exporters. In corporate news, Tesla reported mixed quarterly results, topping revenue estimates but falling short of profit forecasts. Victoria's Secret parent company L Brands reported weak forward-looking guidance after the close Wednesday, sending its stock downward more than 15 percent. The dollar dropped roughly 0.2 percent against a basket of currencies. Light sweet crude oil for April delivery added 76 cents to $54.35 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, while gold futures gained $16.50 to $1,249.80 per ounce. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 34.31, or 0.17 percent, to 20,809.91. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index increased 0.99, or 0.04 percent, to 2,363.81. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index declined 25.12, or 0.43 percent, to 5,835.51.
