Afternoon Markets: Surprise jobless data sends Dow higher

The Dow Jones opened marginally higher on Thursday on the back of positive, and unexpected, weekly jo...

The Dow Jones opened marginally higher on Thursday on the back of positive, and unexpected, weekly jobless figures. Less than an hour after opening, the index was up more than 17 points, or 0.2%, to 8,514.57. Figures issued by the Labor Department showed continuing jobless claims fell 148,000 to below 6.7 million for the week ending 6 June. Following on from President Barack Obama's fresh rules for the banking sector, Bank of America Corporation was one of the biggest early winners, rising 1.87% to $12.53, while J.P. Morgan Chase was also on the rise, gaining 1.56% to $33.24. Meanwhil...