02:11 PM EDT, 06/06/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes were mixed after midday Thursday as markets analyzed latest weekly unemployment claims ahead of the official jobs report for May.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite were down 0.1% each at 5,349.2 and 17,171.8, respectively, intraday, following record-high closings in the previous session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.1% to 38,853.4. Among sectors, utilities saw the biggest drop, while consumer discretionary led the gainers.

In economic news, applications for unemployment insurance in the US rose in the week ended June 1, government data showed.

Despite a week-over-week increase in headline continuing claims, "the level remains in a range that suggests the labor market remains tight," Jefferies said in a note.

Separately, Challenger, Gray & Christmas said US-based employers cut 63,816 jobs last month, down from 64,789 in April and a 20% decrease from a year earlier.

On Wednesday, Automatic Data Processing (ADP) reported a slower-than-expected 152,000 increase in May private sector employment.

Government data are likely to show Friday that the US economy added 185,000 jobs last month, which would mark an acceleration from April's 175,000 gain, according to a Bloomberg-compiled consensus.

The US 10- and two-year yields fell one basis point each to 4.28% and 4.72%, respectively, intraday.

The US trade deficit widened in April as imports outpaced exports, according to government data. The deficit rose to its widest level in almost two years amid a surge in imports, Oxford Economics said in a note.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 2.1% to $75.63 per barrel intraday.

In company news, Lululemon Athletica ( LULU ) shares were up 6.2%, the second-top gainer on both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. The athletic apparel and footwear company late Wednesday posted stronger-than-expected fiscal first-quarter results and raised its full-year earnings outlook.

J.M. Smucker (SJM) on Thursday logged better-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter earnings, while the consumer packaged goods and pet food company projected sales to grow annually in its ongoing full year. The company's shares rose 4.8%, among the best performers on the S&P 500.

Samsara (IOT), DocuSign ( DOCU ) and Vail Resorts ( MTN ) are among the companies scheduled to report their latest financial results after Thursday's closing bell.

Gold was up 0.6% at $2,390.40 per troy ounce, while silver surged 4.3% to $31.36 per ounce.