ROST - Stocks Try to Recover from Back-to-Back Losses

Stocks nudged higher Thursday as investors digested the latest round of earnings and economic data, while assessing the outlook for Federal Reserve monetary policy.

The Dow Jones Industrials recovered 77.04 points to close Wednesday at 34,842.78

The S&P 500 eked higher 3.37 points to 4,407.70.

The NASDAQ index ditched 46.97 points to 13,427.66.

Computer networking company Cisco Systems gained more than 4% on a better-than-expected quarterly earnings report. Meanwhile, Walmart inched lower trading after even after reporting an earnings and revenue beat in the fiscal second quarter. The company also raised its full-year guidance and underscored strength in grocery and online sales.

Ross Stores and Applied Materials are scheduled to report quarterly results after the bell Thursday.

Jobless claims for the week ended Aug. 12 fell from the previous period and came in slightly under the Dow Jones estimate. The Philadelphia Federal Reserve also reported an uptick in its manufacturing index in August.

Prices for the 10-year Treasury staggered, raising yields to 4.31% from Wednesday's 4.27%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.

Oil prices gained $1.28 to $80.66 U.S. a barrel.

Gold prices slipped $2.70 to $1,925.60 U.S. an ounce.