Stock indexes increased tentatively Thursday morning as investors parsed weekly data on jobless claims, pushing the S&P 500 into correction territory.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average recovered 19.84 points to start the day at 26,782.97.
The S&P 500 acquired 11.35 points to 3,248.27.
The NASDAQ moved forward 64.11 points to 10,697.10.
Shares of Penn National Gaming fell $1.23, or 1.8% in early trade to $67.76 after announcing it would launch a public offering of 14 million shares.
Accenture PLC shares dropped $12.98, or 5.6%, to $217.93, after the professional services and consulting company reported revenue and earnings that fell short of expectations.
Stocks were under pressure on Thursday, as investors waded through a morass of issues, including gridlock on Capitol Hill, which has sapped prospects for another spending bill. Market participants have long feared that a lack of fresh stimulus would derail an economic rebound.
The weekly report in claims highlights that job creation in the aftermath of the pandemic is stalling out, raising further fears about the shape of the U.S.'s return to normalcy.
Jobless claims rose 4,000 to 870,000, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday, reflecting that slightly more Americans applied for state unemployment benefits in the week ended Sept. 19 than in the prior week.
Prices for the 10-Year Treasury were lower, driving yields up to 0.68% from Wednesday's 0.68%, Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices squeezed ahead two cents to $39.95 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices dropped $3.20 to $1,865.20 U.S. an ounce.