U.S. stocks finish higher as S&P 500 avoids third day in the red

U.S. stocks eked out modest gains on Thursday after a choppy session, helping the S&P 500 avoid a third day of losses as investors await Friday’s jobs report. The S&P 500 SPX gained 14.61 points, or 0.1%, to finish at 4,104.99, according to preliminary closing data from FactSet. The Nasdaq Composite COMP rose by 91.09 points, or 0.8%, to 12,087.96. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA finished just 2.63 points, or less than 0.1%, higher at 33,485.35. Cash trading in stocks will be closed Friday when the March report from the Department of Labor is released. Economists polled by the Wall Street Journal have a median forecast…