U.S. stocks traded higher midday Thursday, with the Nasdaq Composite rising 0.37% to 26,960.69, extending beyond its September close of 26,861.06. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.06% to 50,936.24 and the S&P 500 added 0.30% to 7,674.30, while energy stocks rose 1.3% as oil increased 1.7% to $91.91 a barrel. The ISM manufacturing PMI eased to 54.5 in September from 54.6 in August, below the 55 estimate, while construction spending rose 0.9% in August and weekly jobless claims fell to 197,000. Accenture surged 18% after reporting stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter results and issuing fiscal 2027 sales guidance above estimates, while Corteva dropped 84% after completing the spin-off of its advanced seed and genetics business, Vylor. European markets declined and Asian trading ended mixed.