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Investing.com — Markets had a hard time deciding what to do today after a solid rally this week. And we still don’t know who the next president of the U.S. is, though it’s looking pretty good for Joe Biden.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.24%, or 67 points. The S&P 500 fell 0.04%, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.04%.
Former Vice President Biden appears to be in the lead for the race to become the leader of the free world, with 264 electoral votes to President Donald Trump’s 213. Biden has pulled ahead in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona, while Trump leads in North Carolina.
Pennsylvania’s GOP is requesting that the U.S. Supreme Court order the state to not take any action on any mail-in ballots received after Nov. 3. Trump is suing in several states, though legal experts do not see much chance for success, Reuters reported.
Biden and his vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris are expected to give speeches Friday night.
Nonfarm payrolls increased by 638,000 last month, better than the expected 600,000. That compares to September’s revised 672,000 additions.
Daily Covid-19 infections are setting records in the U.S., with more than 100,000 reported in a single day for a second day in a row, CNN reported.
The number of hospitalized Americans is also climbing, with now more than 53,000 patients, CNN said, citing the COVID Tracking Project. The U.S. reported 1,210 deaths Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Gold Futures are trading above $1,950, while oil dropped about 4%.
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) closed little changed.
Coty (NYSE:COTY) soared after reporting better profit and lower costs. CVS Health Corp (NYSE:CVS) was also higher on increased guidance and a new chief executive officer. Hershey Co (NYSE:HSY) increased after besting earnings estimates and returning to financial forecasts.
Video game maker Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA) tumbled as guidance came in weaker than expected. The company’s third quarter revenue forecast of $1.675 billion compares to consensus estimates of $2.35 billion, according to TipRanks.
