US open: Mixed start to session as trading resumes following Christmas break
US stocks mostly recorded some small gains at the open on Thursday as traders came back from the Christmas break.
As of 1435 GMT, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.10% at 28,543.84 and the Nasdaq Composite came out the gate 0.18% firmer at 8,969.10, while the S&P 500 was 0.02% softer at 3,223.38.
The Dow opened 28.39 points higher on Thursday after closing lower on Tuesday as the truncated Christmas Eve session wrapped up on a mixed note - with the S&P 500 also finishing in the red, while the Nasdaq managed to register a fresh record after its ninth session of gains in a row for the first time since 1998.
Markets across Europe, Australia and Hong Kong will remain closed.
On the data front, while mortgage rates ticked up just a tiny bit last week, the move was seemingly enough to dampen interest in refinances.
As a result, overall mortgage application volume fell 5.3% last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, but were still 128% higher than a year ago - when rates were 87 basis points higher.
Elsewhere, the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell for a second week, according to new data released by the Labor Department on Thursday.
US initial jobless claims declined by 13,000 from the previous week's level to 222,000 for the seven days ended 14 December- coming in ahead of expectations of a figure of 224,000.
Meanwhile, the four-week moving average came in at 228,000, up 2,250 from the previous week’s average.
In corporate news, Bed Bath and Beyond will post earnings on Thursday.