US stocks inched higher on Thursday as investors bought on early dips, keeping indexes near multi-year highs, even as both inflation and weekly jobless claims rose more than expected. The technology sector showed strength, with Nvidia Corp up 6.7 percent to $24.96 a day after a bullish revenue forecast.
Also helping sentiment, an index of Mid-Atlantic business activity index rose in February to its highest level since January 2004. In contrast, new US claims for unemployment benefits were up last week, and US core consumer prices advanced at their quickest pace in more than a year in January.
The Dow Jones industrial average was up 9.69 points, or 0.08 percent, at 12,297.86. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index put on 1.46 points, or 0.11 percent, at 1,337.78. The Nasdaq Composite Index added 4.39 points, or 0.16 percent, at 2,829.95. The Dow and S&P 500 have been trading near 2-1/2-year highs.
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