Stocks Get Lift from Strong Earnings

(TheStreet) -- Stocks extended gains Thursday as strong earnings from Apple AAPL, Nucor NUE and several Dow components helped offset a lower-than-expected decline in initial jobless claims and a slowdown in manufacturing activity. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up by 24 points, or 0.2%, at 12,478. The S&P 500 was higher by 6 points, or 0.4%, at 1336, and the Nasdaq was ahead by 15 points, or 0.5%, at 2817. "The selling looks like routine profit taking rather than a rush for the exits," said James "Rev Shark" DePorre, founder and CEO of Shark Asset Management, and a contributor to TheStreet. "With the long weekend beckoning, a number of market players are likely to take gains and close shop early." Continue reading the article.