U.S. stocks moved higher Thursday after a U.S. report showed that its economy expanded more than first estimated in the second quarter this year and jobless benefit claims declined last week.

In midday trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average of 30 key stocks is up 1.6 percent, while the broader S&P 500 index is ahead 1.2 percent. The technology-laden NASDAQ is up three-tenths of a percent.

European stock indexes ended mixed.

London's Financial Times index closed down four-tenths of one percent to end at 5,197. The CAC-40 in Paris finished up 1.1 percent to close at 3,028. The DAX index in Frankfurt also advanced 1.1 percent , to 5,640.

In Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei index rose one percent to finish at 8,701.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was closed due to the threat posed by Typhoon Nesat.

Gold is trading up $12.39 at $1,621.55 an ounce.

The dollar is trading up against the yen, but down against the euro.