"It looks like we re trying to hold here, and the reason is probably because yields have come down somewhat and these comments by Mary Daly may have also helped a little bit," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Spartan Capital Securities in New York.
U.S. data on initial claims for state unemployment benefits pointed to still-resilient labor market conditions, a day after a report showing U.S. private payrolls increased less than expected in September.
US STOCKS-S&P 500 ends down slightly; investors await Friday s payrolls devdiscourse.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from devdiscourse.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.