BETTER, BUT: The stock market got a lift from the government's report that 367,000 Americans sought unemployment benefits for the first time last week. That's an increase from the previous week but fewer than economists had expected.
RETAIL SALES: Costco and other retail chains reported September sales that came in ahead of Wall Street's estimates. Costco, Dollar General and other retail stocks gained.
THE FINAL SCORE: The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 10 points to close at 1,461. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 81 points to 13,575.
