01:28 PM EST, 01/02/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Financial stocks were decreasing in Thursday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index shedding 0.4% and the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) down 0.5%.

The Philadelphia Housing Index was falling 1.2%, and the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLRE) was down 0.9%.

Bitcoin (BTC-USD) was increasing 3.1% to $96,826, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was slightly higher at 4.57%.

In economic news, US initial jobless claims fell to 211,000 in the week ended Dec. 28 from an upwardly revised 220,000 in the previous week, in contrast with expectations for an increase to 221,000 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.

The S&P Global US manufacturing index for December was revised upward to 49.4 from the flash reading of 48.3, compared with expectations for no revision in a Bloomberg poll of analysts.

In corporate news, Thomson Reuters ( TRI ) acquired cPaperless, doing business as SafeSend, for $600 million in cash to expand in tax automation. Thomson Reuters ( TRI ) shares added 0.4%.