• The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI gave up early gains to end down 12.74 points, or 0.06 percent, at21,397.29. The S&P 500 .SPX lost 1.11 points, or 0.05 percent, to 2,434.5 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 2.73 points, or 0.04 percent, to 6,236.69.
The S&P healthcare index .SPXHC rose 1 percent on Thursday, hitting its fifth consecutive record close following the release of Senate Republicans' bill to replace Obamacare, while financial and consumer staple shares ended lower.
The legislation aims at curbing Medicaid funding and reshaping subsidies to low-income people for private insurance. The index has risen 3.9 percent in five days.
The Nasdaq biotechnology index rose 1.3 percent, for a 9.4 percent jump so far this week. While it was not clear whether the bill would get enough support to become law, drug stocks were among the S&P 500's biggest gainers, with Gilead (GILD.O) rising 4.4 percent on Thursday.
• Thursday's gains were muted as and investors looked forward to the second-quarter earnings season.
• Asian shares baulked at the starting gate on Friday but remained on track for a weekly gain, while crude oil prices pulled away from this week's 10-month lows. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS was flat in early trade, and up 0.4 percent for the week.
• Japan's Nikkei stock index .N225 edged down slightly, but was on track to log a rise of 0.8 percent in a week in which it touched its highest levels since August 2015.
Reference: Reuters
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