NEW YORK: Wall Street stocks were mostly higher early Thursday as the market digested US trade and unemployment data ahead of a key labor report.

Stocks appeared headed for another benign session a day after closing at fresh records following a heavily-telegraphed Federal Reserve decision Wednesday to trim stimulus.

The US trade deficit surged in September to another record behind rising imports of computers and industrial supplies, while new applications for US unemployment benefits declined for the fifth straight week.

The claims data comes ahead of Friday's Department of Labor report, estimated by analysts to show a gain of 400,000 jobs in the United States in October, with unemployment edging down to 4.7 percent.

US stocks mixed ahead of Fed announcement

About 10 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.1 percent to 36,128.51.

The broad-based S&P 500 added 0.2 percent at 4,668.58, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.3 percent to 15,855.25.

All three major indices ended at records on Wednesday after Fed said it would begin to slow its stimulus bond purchases this month as it pointed to a solid recovery in the US economy.