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September 19, 2013: U.S. markets opened higher Thursday under the continuing influence of yesterday’s FOMC announcement. Initial claims for jobless benefits were fouled up again by computer problems, and existing home sales rose to a six-year high. Gold prices posted their biggest one-day gain in more than four years in the afterglow of the Fed pronouncement. But today was basically a cooling-off period for equities following yesterday’s last-minute surge.

Asian and European markets closed solidly higher today, while Latin American markets closed lower.

Friday’s calendar includes speeches by Kansas City Fed President Esther George, Fed Governor Daniel Tarullo, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard, and Minneapolis Fed President Narayana Kocherlakota, and the following data releases and events (all times Eastern):

• 10:00 a.m. – Atlanta Fed business inflation expectations

Here are the closing bell levels for Thursday:

• S&P500 1,722.34 (-3.18; -0.18%)
• DJIA 15,636.55 (-40.39; -0.26%)
• NASDAQ 3,789.38 (+5.74; +0.15%)
• 10YR TNOTE 2.749% (-0.46875)
• Gold $1,369.30 (+61.70; +4.7%)
• WTI Crude oil $106.39 (-1.68; -1.6%)
• Euro/Dollar: 1.3529 (+0.0007; +0.05%)

Big Earnings Movers: Oracle Corp. (NYSE: ORCL) is up 0.1% at $33.91 after posting quarterly results last night. ConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE: CAG) is down 3.9% at $30.81 on weak results. Pier 1 Imports Inc. (NYSE: PIR) is down 13.9% at $20.33. Rite Aid Corp. (NYSE: RAD) is up 23.5% at $4.58. Scholastic Corp. (NASDAQ: SCHL) is down 1.1% at $30.23.

Stocks on the Move: Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ: GRPN) is up 8.9% at $12.58. Pandora Media Inc. (NYSE: P) is up 6.6% at $27.33. Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. (NASDAQ: EGLE) is up 30.6% at $7.05 on rising dry bulk shipping rates. Kandi Technologies Group Inc. (NASDAQ: KNDI) is up 22.4% at $6.72.

In all, 320 stocks put up new 52-week highs today, while just 11 stocks posted new lows.