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NEW YORK — Investors moved back into stocks after a four-day slide as they awaited a key government report on unemployment.
Stocks held to a tight range in light trading volume Thursday as some investors squeezed in late-summer vacations. Those remaining braced for the August jobs report, which is due before the opening bell today.
The biggest gains came in the final half-hour as some traders looked to buy ahead of the jobs data. Economists expect the unemployment rate to edge up to 9.5 percent from 9.4 percent, while the number of layoffs is expected to slow to 225,000 from 247,000.