Morning Report: US sharemarkets were firmer on Thursday

Ahead of Friday’s job report, data showed a fall in the number of people filing for unemployment benefits. Democrats are pushing ahead with efforts to secure a fiscal stimulus package in Congress. And corporate earnings continue to encourage investors. Shares in Ebay rose 5.3% and PayPal rose by 7.4% on earnings news. At the close of trade, the Dow Jones index was up by 332 points or 1.1%. The S&P 500 index rose by 1.1% to record highs. And the Nasdaq index gained 167 points or 1.2% to record highs.