· The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 19.97 points, or 0.09 percent, to end at 22,661.64, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 3.16 points, or 0.12 percent, to 2,537.74 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 2.91 points, or0.04 percent, to 6,534.63.
· U.S. stocks edged up to extend their run of record closing highs on Wednesday as data on the services sector added to signs of strength in the economy and prospects for earnings.
It was the third straight session where all three major indexes hit record closing highs, though the small-cap Russell 2000 broke its string of eight all-time high finishes, ending down 0.3 percent.
· Analysts expect third-quarters earnings of S&P 500 companies rose 5.5 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, according to Thomson Reuters data. That would be down from double-digit growth in the first two quarters, but many strategists are optimistic results will be better than expected.
· Asia opened higher on Thursday, following a record-high close for U.S. equities overnight. Markets in China, Hong Kong and South Korea are shut for public holidays.
· Japan's Nikkei 225 was up 0.13 percent at 20,653.58 in early trade, while the Topix index gained 0.1 percent.
Reference: Reuters, CNBC
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