Wall Street was flat on Thursday as upbeat jobs data and optimism over trade failed to make any material impact.
The Dow was at 27,621.15 points by 10:02 AM ET (15:02 GMT), down 0.1%, while the S&P 500 was down in line and the Nasdaq composite was effectively unchanged.
Weekly jobless claims fell to a seventh-month low last week, suggesting the labor market remains strong. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 203,000 for the week ended Nov. 30, the lowest level since mid-April, the Labor Department said on Thursday.
On the trade front, China reiterated its expectations that tariffs should be lifted as part of a phase-one deal, after Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that U.S. officials expect a deal before the latest round of American tariffs takes effect on Dec. 15.
"The Chinese side believes that if the two sides reach a phase one deal, tariffs should be lowered accordingly," ministry spokesman Gao Feng said. Both sides remain in discussions over the deal, he added.
Nike (NYSE:NKE) rose 1.9% on an analyst upgrade, while Signet Jewelers (NYSE:SIG) surged 9% after losses came in lower than expected for the third-quarter.
Slack Technologies (NYSE:WORK) fell 4.5% after guidance for its bottom line suggest costs could be higher than expected for the current quarter.
In commodities, the U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, was down 0.2% to 97.390 and Gold futures inched up 0.1% to $1,481.25 a troy ounce. Crude oil futures gained 0.9% to $58.92 a barrel.
