04:01 PM EDT, 08/08/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes ended higher Thursday after the latest weekly jobless claims data helped ease concerns regarding the health of the economy.

* Weekly applications for unemployment insurance in the US declined to the lowest level in four weeks, the Department of Labor said.

* The report "offers a welcome positive indication of labor market conditions, softening concerns of more precipitous weakness in the aftermath of a somewhat disappointing jobs report," Stifel said in a note to clients.

* June wholesale inventories were unrevised from the advance estimate of a 0.2% gain, as expected, while wholesale sales decreased by 0.6%, compared with a 0.3% gain expected, led by a 6.6% drop in petroleum sales.

* September West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed up $0.96 to settle at $76.19 per barrel, while October Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $0.72 to $79.05.

* Parker-Hannifin ( PH ) shares were up 11% after the company's fiscal Q4 financial results exceeded Wall Street's expectations.

* Monster Beverage ( MNST ) shares fell 12% after the energy drink company reported Q2 results that fell short of the Street's estimates amid softening demand and consumer spending.