US Equity Markets Mixed as Investors Parse Jobs Data

04:08 PM EST, 12/04/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes were mixed Thursday as investors weighed jobs data amid a rise in most government bond yields.

* Initial jobless claims last week dropped to 191,000 for the week, the lowest since September 2022, down from a revised 218,000 the previous week and below 220,000 expected in a Bloomberg survey.

* There is an 87% chance that the Federal Reserve will cut its key interest rate by 25 basis points next week, down from 90% a day ago, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

* New orders for US factory goods rose 0.2% in September, trailing the 0.3% gain expected by analysts in a Bloomberg survey. Revised data from August showed a 1.3% gain.

* January West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose $0.74 to settle at $59.69 per barrel, while February Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $0.61 at $63.28.

* Dollar General (DG) shares rose 14%, the top gainer on the S&P 500, after the company raised its full-year earnings outlook following better-than-expected fiscal Q3 results.

* Intel (INTC) will retain its networking and communications unit following a review, despite earlier plans to sell various assets, Reuters reported. Intel (INTC) shares fell 7.5%, the biggest decline on the S&P.

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