NEW YORK, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks traded higher on Thursday as investors digested the latest economic data.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 37.32 points, or 0.14 percent, to 26,186.71. The S&P 500 decreased 1.83 points, or 0.06 percent, to 2,821.98. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 25.62 points, or 0.35 percent, to 7,385.86.
On the economic front, in the week ending Jan. 27, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 230,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised level, the Labor Department said on Thursday. The previous week's level was revised down by 2,000 from 233,000 to 231,000.
The four-week moving average was 234,500, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 500 from 240,000 to 239,500, said the department.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rates unchanged at 1.25 to 1.5 percent after its two-day meeting, while giving an upbeat assessment of recent U.S. economic growth.
"Gains in employment, household spending, and business fixed investment have been solid, and the unemployment rate has stayed low," the Fed's policy-making committee said in a statement.
The Fed also expected U.S. inflation on a 12-month basis to "move up this year and to stabilize" around the central bank's 2 percent target over the medium term.
On the earnings front, Facebook reported its fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that both beat market expectations. The company said on Wednesday that its adjusted earnings per share reached 2.21 U.S. dollars while the revenue came at 12.97 billion dollars.
