Stocks Gain Steam on the Fed, Jobs Data

U.S. markets saw another day in the green and added to Wednesday’s gains following the Fed statement that interest rates would remain low.  While August housing starts came in below projections, weekly initial jobless claims were lower than economists had estimated, which fueled stock momentum.

Market Radar - % Change

Crude oil slid for the second day, settling down $1.35 at $93.07 per barrel, losing 1.43%.  Gold also settled lost ground Thursday, settling at $1,226.9 per ounce, down $9, or 0.73%.

All of the major indexes ended in the green for the second consecutive day, with the Dow Industrials (INDEXDJX:DJI) hitting a new record close of 17,265.99, gaining 109.14 points or 0.64%. The S&P 500 (INDEXSP:GSPC) also closed at a new record high of 2,011.36, gaining 9.79 points on the day, up 0.49%.

The NASDAQ  Composite (NASDAQ:IXIC) gained as well, rising 31.24 points to close at 4,593.43, up 0.68%. The NASDAQ 100 followed suit, closing at 4,103.08, a gain of 29.51 points or 0.72%.

The small cap Russell 2000 closed at 1,159.27, up 0.47% or 5.38 points, while The Fox 50 also climbed to a new high of 1,423.50, gaining 7.58 points (up 0.54%).