U.S. Stocks Slip, Giving Back Some Fed-fueled Gains

U.S. stocks dipped Thursday, taking a breather after the prior day's Federal Reserve-inspired rally that sent the S&P 500 to its highest closing level in two weeks. The S&P 500 fell 7 points, or 0.3%, to 2,093, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 55 points, or 0.3%, to 18,021. The Nasdaq Composite bucked the negative trend, edging up 3 points, or less than 0.1%, to 4,985. A report on jobless claims came in a bit weaker than expected before the open, and stock futures had maintained their losses after its release. Apple rose 0.4% in the early going, grabbing the spotlight as the tech giant debuts as a Dow component.