U.S. stock markets keep rising as the end of the year nears, despite the U.S. House of Representatives voting to impeach President Donald Trump. The S&P 500 index extended above 3,200 for the first time ever, and both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite Index rose to mid-day and closing highs.
Here's how the U.S. stock market closed Thursday:
S&P 500 Index
Dow Jones Industrial Average
Nasdaq Composite Index
Even though most investors are not too concerned with the impeachment verdict, market participates are paying attention to the progress of the U.S.-China trade agreement. On Thursday, China issued a new set of tariff exemptions for U.S. imports. The tariffs cover U.S. chemical and oil products and are set to debut on December 26 and take effect for a year. Both sides are still posed to officially sign the deal in early January.
In U.S. Economic News, new weekly jobless claims declined from their more than two-year high posted last week, where unemployment rates rose far above what consensus economists expected. Meanwhile, existing homes sales fell more than expected in November after their rise in October, according to the National Association of Realtors.
In U.S. Stock Sector News, all but Energy -0.06% and Utilities -0.06% increased in current trading Thursday. The gains include Real Estate +1.07%, Communication Services +0.79%, Information Technology +0.71%, Consumer Staples +0.64%, Health Care +0.39%, Consumer Discretionary +0.36%, Materials +0.33%, Industrial +0.29% and Financials +0.03%.
Lastly, in Commodity and Currency News, oil price increases are continuing their streak Thursday, with West Texas Intermediate climbing +0.67% and Brent Crude soaring +0.71%. The price of Gold is also positively gaining Thursday, with the metal's price increasing +0.23% at closing. Finally, the U.S. Dollar closed slightly above yesterday's value, with the DXY Index edging +0.01%.
