Shares of machinery companies fluctuated in early trading Thursday after the release of reports showing a modest increase in jobless claims and weakness in the manufacturing sector.
The Labor Department said the number of laid off-workers applying for jobless benefits rose last week, but was about what analysts expected.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Federal Reserve said regional manufacturing activity is contracting more slowly than in it did in April. But the Federal Reserve said industrial output fell for the second straight month in April.
Here's how some machinery stocks were doing in early trading:
Manitowoc Co., down 45 cents at $40.13.
Terex Corp., up 88 cents at $72.66.
Cummins Inc., up 3 cents at $72.01.
Caterpillar Inc., up 78 cents at $83.53.
Deere & Co., up $1.80, or 2.2 percent, at $83.05.
