US stocks end mixed amid economic data

New York, Sep 20 (IANS) US stocks pared most of the early gains to close mixed amid a slew of key economic data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average on Thursday fell 52.29 points, or 0.19 per cent, to 27,094.79. The S&P 500 increased 0.06 points, or 0.0020 per cent, to 3,006.79, Xinhua reported.

The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 5.49 points, or 0.07 per cent, to 8,182.88.

Six of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors managed to secure the positive territories at the close, with health care up 0.47 per cent, leading the gainers. Industrials pulled back 0.49 per cent, the worst-performing group.

In the week ending September 14, US initial jobless claims, a rough way to measure layoffs, registered 208,000, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised level, the Department of Labor reported on Thursday.

Economists polled by MarketWatch estimated new claims would total a seasonally adjusted 215,000.

US total existing-home sales, completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 1.3 per cent from July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.49 million in August, according to the National Association of Realtors. The reading beat market consensus.

Wall Street continued to digest the Federal Reserve's latest decision on interest rate.

The US central bank on Wednesday lowered interest rates by 25 basis points amid growing risks and uncertainties stemming from trade tensions and a global economic slowdown, following a rate cut in July that was its first in more than a decade.