Dow stocks at 52 week highs include Apple (AAPL), Caterpillar (CAT), McDonald’s (MCD), Microsoft (MSFT) and UnitedHealth (UNH). Dow stock 52 week lows include Exxon Mobil (XOM).

The Market

Premarket today, the Dow was indicated to open up +57 points.

Thursday the Dow was up +55.67 (+0.25%) at 21,948.10.

Year-to-date the Dow is up +11.06%.

There were 20 Dow stocks up Thursday.

The Dow stock winners Thursday were led by UnitedHealth (UNH) +1.54% and Pfizer (PFE) +1.41%.

The Dow stock losers Thursday were led by Disney (DIS) -1.62% and Wal-Mart (WMT) -0.60%.

The Labor Department reported 156,000 jobs were added in August, slightly less than the 180,000 economists had been expecting. The unemployment rate was 4.4 percent. July’s jobless rate was 4.3 percent.

European stocks are higher and Asian markets ended mostly higher.

The national average price of gasoline is up 7 cents at $2.519 per gallon.

Earnings Reports.

There are no Dow stocks set to report earnings in the near term.

Today’s Featured Dow Stock

Goldman Sachs (GS)

Home Depot (HD) is up +11.78% year-to-date.

Financial Calendar

0830 ET Aug non-farm payrolls expected +180,000, Jul +209,000. Aug private payrolls expected +170,000, Jul +205,000. Aug manufacturing payrolls expected +9,000, Jul +16,000. Aug unemployment rate expected unch at 4.3%, Jul -0.1 to 4.3%.

0830 ET Aug avg hourly earnings expected +0.2% m/m and +2.6% y/y, Jul +0.3% m/m and +2.5% y/y. Aug avg weekly hours all employees expected unch at 34.5 hours, Jul unch at 34.5 hours.

0945 ET Revised Aug Markit U.S. manufacturing PMI expected no change at 52.5, prelim-Aug -0.8 to 52.5.

1000 ET Aug ISM manufacturing PMI expected +0.2 to 56.5, Jul -1.5 to 56.3. Aug ISM new orders expected -0.4 to 60.0, Jul -3.1 to 60.4. Aug ISM employment, Jul -2.0 to 55.2. Aug ISM price paid expected unch at 62.0, Jul +7.0 to 62.0.

1000 ET Jul construction spending expected +0.5%, Jun -1.3% m/m.

1000 ET Final-Aug University of Michigan U.S. consumer sentiment expected -0.1 to 97.5, previous +4.2 to 97.6.

n/a Aug total vehicle sales expected 16.60 million, Jul 16.69 million. Aug domestic vehicle sales expected 12.90 million, Jul 12.96 million.