S&P 500 begins second half of 2021 at new peak

NEW YORK: The S&P 500 index kicked off the second half of the year at a record high on Thursday as data showed fewer-than-expected weekly jobless claims, while energy stocks were supported by a spike in oil prices.

Ten of the 11 major S&P sectors rose, with energy, financials, industrials and materials leading the charge.

At 11:38 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 82.70 points, or 0.24%, at 34,585.21 and the S&P 500 was up 11.28 points, or 0.26%, at 4,308.78. The Nasdaq Composite was down 39.56 points, or 0.27%, at 14,464.40.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc dropped 5.7% as it lowered its forecast for Covid-19 vaccine shots to be administered this year.

Micron Technology Inc slumped 5.4% even as the chipmaker beat estimates for quarterly profit and forecast fourth-quarter revenue above expectations.

Didi Global Inc jumped 14.1%, a day after its shares ended their first day of US trading slightly over their initial public offering price, valuing China’s ride-hailing giant at $68.49 billion.—Reuters