US stocks close higher ahead of the monthly jobs report

The main US stock indices closed higher on Thursday, after the release of positive economic data, and ahead of the monthly jobs report.

The US Labor Department showed that initial unemployment claims reached 712,000 from 787,000, better than forecasts of 775,000.

The Labor department will also reveal the monthly jobs report on Friday, amid forecasts that the unemployment rate will continue to drop during November.

Moderna and Pfizer will start distributing their vaccines in mid-December, with production rate of around 20 million doses of each vaccine.

To the oil market, WTI crude January futures rose 0.8%, and closed at $45.64 a barrel, after hitting a high of $45.6 and a low of $44.6.

Brent January futures rose 0.9%, and closed at $48.71 a barrel, after hitting a high of $48.6 and a low of $47.6.

As for stocks, Dow Jones rose 0.2% or 85 points, and closed at 29,969, after hitting a day high of 30,110 and a low of 29,877.

Nasdaq rose 0.2% or 28 points to 12,377, with a high of 12,439 and a low of 12,356.

S&P 500 fell 0.1% or 2 points to 3,666, after hitting a high of 3,682 and a low of 3,657.