Green Territory

Thursday’s session closed in green territory. Hewlett-Packard, Kraft Foods, and Bank of America led the Dow’s ascent. Stocks posted gains following news that Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou will pursue an accord to secure aid without a referendum. On another note, the Commerce Department issued service industry growth data. The Institute for Supply Management’s index for October registered a reading of 52.9. The result was slightly weaker than anticipated, after a reading of 53 in September. Elsewhere, the Labor Department said initial jobless claims fell by 9,000 to 397,000 last week. Looking ahead, October employment numbers are due for release tomorrow. 

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