U.S. Stocks Mixed; Dow Rises Thanks To Visa

The U.S. stock market opened slightly lower on Thursday, as investors digested robust economic reports a day after the Federal Reserve officially announced the conclusion of its bond-purchasing initiative. Confirming the Fed's optimistic view on the economy, the first reading of third-quarter GDP came in better than expected, expanding at a 3.5% annualized rate. Weekly jobless claims ticked up, but remain below the 300,000, pointing to an improving labor market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average defied the general trend and was 81 points, or 0.5%, higher at 17,055.35, helped by a jump in Visa Inc. The S&P 500 was off by a point at 1,981.27. The Nasdaq Composite began the day down 4 points, or 0.1%, at 4,554.58.