## U.S. Stocks Mostly Lower, Tech Takes a Hit
U.S. stocks ended the trading day mixed on Thursday, with the tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite leading the decline. The Dow Jones Industrial Average managed to hold onto a small gain, while the S&P 500 also closed slightly lower.
The NASDAQ fell 0.49%, dragged down by losses in the information technology sector. Communication services, on the other hand, managed to eke out a gain of 0.7%.
Among individual stocks, D.R. Horton saw its shares rise after the homebuilder reported better-than-expected earnings. AGBA Group Holding Limited also saw a significant jump after announcing a merger agreement with Triller. 23andMe Holding Co. shares surged after CEO Anne Wojcicki said she is considering taking the company private.
On the downside, SuperCom Ltd. shares plunged after the company announced a direct offering. Lithium Americas Corp. and NRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. also saw their shares fall after pricing public offerings.
In commodities, oil prices edged higher, while gold prices rose slightly. Silver prices fell, while copper prices gained ground.
European stocks closed higher on Thursday, with most major indices ending the day in the green. Asian markets also closed mostly higher, with the exception of India's S&P BSE Sensex.
U.S. economic data released on Thursday showed that initial jobless claims remained unchanged from the previous week, while existing-home sales fell. The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index, however, rose to a reading of 15.5 in April, exceeding market expectations.