US Market Open Lower and turns Higher

U.S. stocks pulled slightly ahead after a lower start on Thursday after early reports had weekly jobless claims unexpectedly up and inflation rising more than forecast last month. Mixed results from retail giant Wal-Mart Inc.(WMT 53.34, -0.72, -1.33%) also weighed on sentiment, with consumer discretionary shares off the most. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU 10,339, +29.78, +0.29%) was up 3.55 points to 10,312.79. The S&P 500 Index(SPX 1,101, +1.68, +0.15%) was up half a point at 1,099.99. The Nasdaq Composite Index(COMP 2,226, -0.34, -0.02%) fell 2.16 points to 2,224.13.


Crude oil futures turned higher on Thursday, as investors cheered quarterly profits on Wall Street, leading to a lower dollar and putting pressure on commodities. Crude oil for March delivery was last up 79 cents, or 1%, at $78.12 a barrel in electronic trade. It earlier fell to a low of $76.32 a barrel, hit by news of rising jobless claims and expectations of an increase in U.S. crude inventories.