In groups, airlines fell 2.21 percent, automobiles 2.97 percent and tires 2.98 percent. Commodities, however, gained, with platinum and precious metals rising 6.36 percent and coal rising 5.59 percent Thursday.

Major indexes were mixed. The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 12.78 points at 11,430.21, up 0.11 percent. The Nasdaq index fell 8.70 points, or 0.36 percent, to 2,380.38. The Standard & Poor's 500 gained 3.18 points to 1,277.72, up 0.25 percent.

On the New York Stock Exchange, 1,363 stocks advanced and 1,752 declined on a volume of 912 million shares traded.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury note fell 8/32 to yield 3.835 percent.

Against the euro, the U.S. dollar was at $1.4894 from Wednesday's $1.4744. The dollar against the yen fell to 108.44, compared with Wednesday's 109.78.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei average shed 99.48 points to 12,752.21, off 0.77 percent.

The FTSE 100 index in London fell marginally, down 1.20 points, off 0.02 percent, to 5,370.60.