Lukas Jackson/Reuters US stocks closed mixed on Thursday amid falling jobless claims and new hopes for a stimulus deal.
The Nasdaq composite closed at all-time highs, while the S&P 500 lost its record close in the final hour of trading.
New weekly claims for unemployment insurance totaled an unadjusted 712,000 for the week that ended Saturday.
Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected a reading of 775,000.
