VENTURE CAPITAL POST

U.S. stocks rose in a broad rally on Thursday, bouncing back from two days of losses, helped by weaker retail sales that paused the dollar's recent rally and tempered the outlook for interest rates.

U.S. stocks ended lower for a second straight session on Wednesday as worries grew about the timing of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike and dollar strength further dampened the outlook for U.S. earnings.

U.S. stocks dropped on Tuesday, giving the S&P 500 its biggest decline in two months, on increasing views the Federal Reserve may raise rates as soon as June.

U.S. stocks bounced back on Monday, helped by merger and acquisitions activity, while Apple shares ended slightly higher following the long-anticipated rollout of its watch.

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment aid last week rose to its highest level since May, but economists dismissed the increase as weather-related and said the jobs market remained solid.

U.S. stocks closed modestly higher in light trading on Thursday as investors held back on big bets ahead of Friday's jobs report, which is expected to be a big factor in influencing the timing of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike.

U.S. stocks closed down on Wednesday for the second day in a row as investors stepped back after a recent rally ahead of jobs data due later in the week.

U.S. stocks finished down on Tuesday, a day after the S&P and Dow hit records, and the Nasdaq retreated with technology stocks.

U.S. stocks opened slightly lower on Monday, with both the Dow and S&P 500 near records levels as investors digested an agreement by euro zone finance ministers to extend Greece's bailout by four months, provided it draws up a list of reforms.

U.S. stocks are poised for more upward momentum even as uncertainty over oil prices and Greek debt negotiations keeps the market on tenterhooks, analysts say.

U.S. stocks fell on Monday as investors worried about Greek debt negotiations and disappointing Chinese economic data on top of uncertainty about U.S. interest rates.

U.S. stocks jumped more than 1 percent on Tuesday, led by energy shares as oil prices extended their recent rally, while higher-than-expected January car sales also bolstered the advance.

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week and job cuts declined sharply in December, suggesting the labor market is tightening.

U.S. stocks rallied for a second day on Thursday, boosted by expectations the U.S. economy will continue to improve and by hopes for more aggressive action from the European Central Bank.

U.S. stocks rebounded on Wednesday from five straight sessions of losses after strong private sector jobs data and as minutes from the most recent Federal Reserve meeting reassured investors the bank was in no hurry to start raising interest rates.