Stocks end slightly lower after S&P 500 flirts with record close

Stocks finished mostly lower Thursday, with the S&P 500 slipping into negative territory after briefly trading above its all-time high from Feb. 19 for a second day in a row. Investors were cheered by data that showed an unexpectedly large drop in the number of first-time jobless claims last week, but continue to watch a stalemate between congressional Democrats and the White House over additional coronavirus aid. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell around 80 points, or 0.3%, to close near 27,897, according to preliminary figures, while the S&P 500 shed around 7 points, or 0.2%, finishing near 3,373. The Nasdaq Composite ended in positive territory, as enthusiasm for a rotation away from tech stocks toward more economically sensitive cyclicals continued to cool. The Nasdaq rose around 30 points, or 0.3%, to around 11,043.

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