Associated PressMarch 15, 2012, 10:28 a.m. NEW YORK— Stocks were just barely in the green Thursday after a pair of positive economic reports. The Dow Jones Industrial average clung to a gain and had a chance to extend its longest winning streak in a year.Just before noon, the Dow was up 10 points at 13,204. The Standard & Poor's 500 index was up four at 1,398. The Nasdaq composite index added 12 points to 3,053.A higher close for the Dow would mark its seventh consecutive gain. The last longer streak was eight days in February 2011.Investors applauded further signs of an improving economy.The government said applications for unemployment benefits fell last week to 351,000, matching a four-year low. When applications stay below 375,000, it usually signals that hiring strong enough to lower the unemployment rate.A separate report showed that prices paid by wholesalers rose less than expected in February, despite a spike in gasoline prices. The producer price index has increased … [Read more...]
