U.S. STOCKS ENDED HIGHER ON THURSDAY AS CRUDE OIL PRICES SETTLED JUST BELOW $70 A BARREL AND STRONG APRIL RETAIL SALES SHOWED HIGHER GASOLINE PRICES DIDN'T STOP CONSUMERS FROM SPENDING, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. BASED ON THE LATEST AVAILABLE DATA, THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE WAS UP 38.34 POINTS, OR 0.34 PERCENT, TO END UNOFFICIALLY AT 11,438.62. THE STANDARD & POOR'S 500 INDEX WAS UP 4.38 POINTS, OR 0.33 PERCENT, AT 1,312.23. THE NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX WAS UP 19.87 POINTS, OR 0.86 PERCENT, AT 2,323.84. EARLIER, THE DOW HIT 11,463.11, ITS HIGHEST SINCE JANUARY 2000.
