U.S. stock indices rise

Major US stock indices rose on Thursday and ended trading at record highs. The Nasdaq ended trading above 13,000 points for the first time.

The US trade deficit in November 2020 widened to its highest since August 2006 at $68.1bn from $63.1bn a month earlier, data from the country's Commerce Department showed. On average, experts expected the US trade deficit to rise to $65.2bn. Exports rose 1.2% to $184.2bn in November, while imports rose 2.9% to $242.3bn.

The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits for the first time last week decreased by 3 thousand to 787 thousand people, according to the report of the US Labor Department. The number of Americans continuing to receive unemployment benefits decreased to 5.072 million from 5.198 million revised a week earlier in the week that ended December 26. Experts had expected the figure to fall to 5.200 million people from the previously announced 5.219 million in the previous period.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average index rose 211.73 points (0.69 per cent) to 3,041.13 on Thursday.

The Standard Poor's 500 rose 55.65 points (1.48%) to 3,803.79 points.

The Nasdaq Composite added 326.69 points (2.56%) to 13067.48 points.

Shares of Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) Inc. rose 7.9% on Thursday, hitting a record high. The increase in their value was observed for the tenth consecutive trading session. The electric car maker's capitalization surpassed the market value of Facebook Inc (SPB: NASDAQ:FB), notes Bloomberg.

Constellation Brands (SPB: NYSE:STZ) Inc. gained 2.3 percent. The U.S. spirits maker posted net income of $6.55 per share in its fiscal third quarter, compared with $1.85 per share in the same period a year earlier. Adjusted earnings were $3.09 per share, compared with FactSet analysts forecast of $2.42 per share.

Conagra Brands (SPB: CAG) Inc. shares fell 5.5 percent despite the food maker's fiscal second-quarter net income and revenue exceeding analyst expectations.