How the major stock indexes fared Thursday (AP)

Better-than-expected reports on home building and jobs pushed two of the three major stock indexes higher Thursday. The broader market ended mixed.

The pace of new home construction quickened last month and the number of people who applied for unemployment benefits fell last week.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 64.25 points, or 0.5 percent, to close at 11,961.52.

The S&P 500 rose 2.22, or 0.2 percent, to 1,267.64.

The Nasdaq composite lost 7.76, or 0.3 percent, to 2,623.70

For the week:

The Dow is up 9.61, or 0.1 percent.

The S&P is down 3.34, or 0.3 percent.

The Nasdaq is down 20.03, or 0.8 percent.

For the year to date:

The Dow is up 384.01, or 3.3 percent.

The S&P is up 10.00, or 0.8 percent.

The Nasdaq is down 29.17, or 1.1 percent.

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