S&P 500, Dow score record highs as unemployment claims drop

Seven of the 11 major S&P 500 sector indexes traded higher, led by the real estate sector

The S&P 500 and the Dow touched all-time highs on Thursday, extending a record-setting run as new claims for US unemployment benefits fell in the week, showing that the Omicron variant of the virus that causes Covid-19 has yet to slow the US economy.

A separate report showed Midwest factory activity gained a little steam this month.

Driven by gains in production, new orders and inventories, the Chicago purchasing managers' index (PMI) delivered a print of 63.1, a monthly increase of 1.3 points and 1.1 points above consensus. A PMI number over 50 signifies expanded activity over the previous month.

The blue-chip Dow