After moving modestly higher at the open, stocks have moved mostly lower over the course of morning trading on Thursday. The major averages have all pulled back into negative territory, although selling pressure has remained somewhat subdued.
The downturn by the markets comes in spite of the release of a report from the Labor Department showing that initial jobless claims unexpectedly fell in the week ended December 26th, falling to their lowest level since July of 2008.
Trucking stocks have helped to lead the way lower, with YRC Worldwide (YRCW) turning in one of the sector's worst performances, as traders remain concerned about the outlook for the company even though it completed a critical debt-for-equity exchange.
Most of the other major sectors have also moved to the downside over the course of the morning, with natural gas, utilities, and chemical stocks posting notable losses. On the other hand, some strength remains visible among gold stocks.
The major averages are currently posting moderate losses, lingering near their worst levels of the day. The Dow is currently down 59.63 at 10,488.88, the Nasdaq is down 8.27 at 2,283.01 and the S&P 500 is down 4.55 at 1,121.87.
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