US stock indexes inch above record highs in quiet trading

By ALEX VEIGA
AP Business Writer

Stocks edged higher on Wall Street in afternoon trading Thursday, as gains in health care and communication companies outweighed a pullback in technology and other sectors. Trading was relatively quiet with many investors having closed out their positions for the year. The S&P 500 and Dow were hovering just above the record highs they set a day earlier. Cruise lines fell after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that passengers avoid cruise travel, regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status. Traders got some good economic data: Weekly jobless claims fell below 200,000 and a gauge of manufacturing activity rose this month more than expected.