U.S. stocks climbed on Thursday after a government report showed an unexpected fall in weekly unemployment claims last week, reflecting strength in the job market, and crude oil prices fell. Fannie Mae rose 2.3 percent to $72.01 after the embattled U.S. home financing company said it agreed to sell $5 billion in preferred stock to institutional buyers, $1 billion more than previously estimated, as part of an effort to comply with regulatory demands to increase capital. But drug maker Pfizer Inc. slipped nearly 1 percent to $27.05. A Wall Street Journal report said that Celebrex prescriptions slid 56 percent last week in the United States after a study linked the Pfizer drug to a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 12.41 points, or 0.11 percent, at 10,841.60. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 1.32 points, or 0.11 percent, at 1,214.77. The technology-laced Nasdaq Composite Index was up 2.80 points, or 0.13 percent, at 2,179.80. The number of Americans applying for first-time jobless aid unexpectedly fell by 5,000 last week, according to a government report, and gave a boost to stock futures. The report followed stronger consumer confidence data earlier this week from the Conference Board. --More 1806 Local Time 1506 GMT
