02:07 PM EDT, 05/09/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes were higher intraday, as investors assessed a report showing that weekly jobless claims jumped to the highest level since August.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.6% at 39,300.7 after midday Thursday, while the S&P 500 rose 0.4% to 5,207.9. The Nasdaq Composite added 0.3% to 16,349.6. Barring technology, all sectors were in the green, led by real estate and energy.

In economic news, the seasonally adjusted number of initial claims in the US increased by 22,000 to 231,000 in the week ended May 4, the Department of Labor said. This marked the highest level since the week ended Aug. 26, 2023. The consensus was for a 212,000 level in a survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg.

"If the higher level of claims persists or if claims rise further, it would be a sign of a further loosening in labor market conditions," Oxford Economics said in a note. "However, one week of data doesn't change our call for the (Federal Reserve) to keep interest rates at current levels until September."

On Wednesday, Boston Fed President Susan Collins said she's committed to bringing inflation back to the central bank's 2% target, though there's "significant uncertainty" around that outlook. "Recent data lead me to believe this will take more time than previously thought."

The Federal Open Market Committee tightened monetary policy by 525 basis points from March 2022 through July 2023 to tame inflation. It has held interest rates steady since then, with its latest pause coming last week.

The US two-year yield fell three basis points to 4.81%, while the 10-year rate declined 2.4 basis points to 4.46%.

In company news, Equinix ( EQIX ) shares jumped 10%, the top performer on the S&P 500. The company late Wednesday logged first-quarter adjusted funds from operations that topped Wall Street's expectations.

Trade Desk ( TTD ) was among the top gainers on the Nasdaq intraday Thursday, up 2.5%. The company on Wednesday posted better-than-expected first-quarter results.

Epam Systems ( EPAM ) saw the steepest decline on the S&P 500, down nearly 26%, after the company lowered its 2024 revenue outlook.

Airbnb's ( ABNB ) shares slipped 6.5%, the biggest drop on the Nasdaq and among the worst on the S&P 500. The vacation rental company late Wednesday offered a muted outlook for the second quarter while its first-quarter results surpassed the Street's estimates on the back of strong travel demand and the timing of Easter.

Akamai Technologies ( AKAM ) and Unity Software ( U ) are among the companies scheduled to post their latest financial results after Thursday's closing bell.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 0.2% to $79.14 per barrel intraday.

Gold was up 0.8% at $2,340.60 per troy ounce, while silver surged 2.8% to $28.37 per ounce.