Stocks close slightly lower as investors await details of Biden stimulus plan; European markets close higher as vaccine and U.S. stimulus hopes boost sentiment; BELEX15 down 0.74% 
Stocks fell slightly on Thursday, with tech shares declining, as traders awaited the unveiling of a potentially big economic stimulus package. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 68.95 points, or 0.2%, at 30,991.52. Earlier in the day, the 30-stock average rose more than 150 points. The Nasdaq Composite dipped 0.1% to 13,112.64 after hitting an all-time high earlier in the session. The S&P 500 closed 0.4% lower at 3,795.54. 
Sentiment got a boost earlier in the session as trial data published late Wednesday showed that Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose coronavirus vaccine is safe and generates a promising immune response. Shares of Johnson & Johnson climbed 1.8%. 
However, investors also digested worse-than-expected jobless claims data. First-time claims for unemployment insurance jumped to 965,000 last week, higher than an estimate of 800,000 new claims, according to economists surveyed by Dow Jones. 

The pan-European Stoxx 600 ended the session up by 0.7%, with travel and leisure shares climbing 1.9% to lead gains while utilities slid 0.4%. 
In terms of individual share price movement, Dutch semiconductor firm ASM International climbed 7.6% after Barclays raised its target price. 
Toward the bottom of the European blue chip index, Carrefour shares dropped 2.5% after the French labor minister voiced opposition to a proposed takeover of the retail giant by Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard. 

BELEX15 was down 0.74% as Tehnogas lost 6.4%, while 0.62% loss at NIS, also contributed. The most active this time was Fitofarmacija, with RSD 4.9m in volume. 
Source: CNBC, Ilirika