Dow Jones Industrial Average Rallies 100 Points; Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Drop To Nine-Week Low

U.S. stocks edged higher Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly jumping more than 100 points in morning trading, after fewer Americans filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week. The data eased concerns on the health of the U.S. labor market ahead of Friday's jobs report, after a separate report earlier this week revealed fewer jobs were created in the private sector last month.