Stocks Close with Modest Advancement
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iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — The markets didn’t see much change even after a private survey showed U.S. companies added slightly more jobs last month than in January.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 36 points to 16,360.18. The Nasdaq Composite rose 6 points to close at 4,357.97. The S&P 500 closed up a fraction at 1,873.81.
Payroll processor ADP says businesses added 139,000 jobs in Februrary, up from the 127,000 added the month before. The ADP numbers cover only private businesses, and they often differ from the government’s monthly employment numbers, which are due out on Friday.
Encouraging corporate earnings also didn’t help much. The maker of Jack Daniel’s Whiskey and other alcoholic beverages is toasting a robust report. Shares rose almost $3.00 to $87.00.
GameStop’s latest earnings were better than expected. The video game retailer is increasing its annual dividend by 20 percent to a $32 a share.
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