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U.S. stocks were rising on a spate of better than expected U.S. economic data.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average ($INDU +0.53%) was rising 68.1 points at 12,849. The S&P 500 ($INX +0.39%) was gaining 4.8 points at 1,348 and the Nasdaq ($COMPX +0.48%) was up 11.5 points at 2,927.
Stocks closed lower Wednesday as reports that Greece's creditors are delaying the country's bailout eclipsed news that China may provide financial support to the eurozone.<!--EndofExcerptMarker-->
The number of Americans seeking first-time unemployment benefits fell 13,000 to 348,000 in the week ended Feb. 11 from a revised 361,000 the previous week, according to a Labor Department report. Economists expected claims to rise to 365,000 from an originally reported 358,000.
Housing starts rose 1.5% to a seasonally adjusted 699,000 in January from a revised 689,000 in December, according to a Census Bureau report. Economists had expected starts to climb 2% to 670,000. Building permits rose 0.7% to 676,000 for the month. Single-family building permits rose 0.9% to 445,000 from a revised 441,000 in December.
Producer prices rose 0.1% in January according to the Labor Deaprtment's producer price index. Excluding food and energy, producer prices rose 0.4%
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