Industrials Flat as Traders Hedge on Economic View -- Industrials Roundup

Shares of manufacturing and transportation companies were flat as traders hedged their bets on the outlook for economic data.

Initial jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs across the U.S., were a seasonally adjusted 245,000 in the week ended Dec. 23, unchanged from the prior week, the Labor Department said Thursday. Investors await the monthly jobs report for December due next week.

Brazil's defense minister said the government was concerned takeover talks between Boeing and Embraer had gone ahead without its knowledge, and demanded explanations from the Brazilian aircraft maker. Still, shares of Embraer remained elevated, suggesting investors still anticipate a merger deal.

-Rob Curran, rob.curran@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 28, 2017 16:51 ET (21:51 GMT)