U.S. stocks opened lower Thursday after fresh data showed weekly jobless claims fell close to historic lows and the European Central Bank announced an interest rate hike. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA was down 0.7% soon after the opening bell, while the S&P 500 SPX fell 0.6% and the Nasdaq Composite COMP shed 0.5%, according to FactSet data, at last check. The U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday that initial jobless claims fell to 192,000 in the week ending March 11. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had forecast new claims to total 205,000. The ECB said Thursday that it lifted rates by 50 basis points amid inflation concerns. Investors have been worried about bank woes, including at Switzerland’s Credit Suisse Group, and are watching to see how central banks manage monetary policy given inflation and banking system concerns.
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