Bonds & Stocks
The S&P 500 edged lower following a two-day advance led by tech giants. The S&P 500 fell 0.1%. The Nasdaq 100 fell 0.5%. The yield on 10- year Treasuries declined two basis points to 4.03%.
Economy
US initial jobless claims rose to a level of 212,000 in the week ended Feb. 21 from an upwardly revised 208,000 level in the previous week, compared with expectations for a larger increase to 216,000 in survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg.
World
Iran and the United States held hours of indirect talks Thursday in Geneva over Tehran's nuclear negotiations viewed as a last chance for diplomacy as America has gathered a fleet of aircraft and warships to the Middle East to pressure Tehran into a deal.