Stock Market Update

[BRIEFING.COM] The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (+0.81%) is atop the standings on Thursday afternoon, up about 167 points with two hours to go.

Gold futures settled $13.80 lower (-0.4%) at $3,345.30/oz, as a stronger dollar and rising Treasury yields kept pressure on the metal. Solid US retail sales and jobless claims suggested the economy's holding up, making it less likely the Fed will cut rates anytime soon. Fed officials echoed that sentiment, signaling they're in no rush to ease. While gold usually gets a boost from uncertainty, for now, steady data and firm yields are keeping buyers on the sidelines.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar Index is now up +0.5% to $98.73.