U.S. stocks closed mostly higher on Thursday as major technology stocks gained. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 15.99, or 0.09 percent, to 18,456.35. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 3.46, or 0.16 percent, to 2,170.06. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index rose 15.17, or 0.30 percent, to 5,154.98.