US stocks edge higher as bond yields ease

US stocks recovered from early losses to close slightly higher on Thursday, with the S&P 500 bouncing from a two-week low as a global bond selloff reversed course after sending US Treasury yields to multi-decade highs. Stocks were under pressure in early trading as economic data kept pointing to a solid economy with persistent price pressures that stoked fears that inflation could ultimately force the Federal Reserve to become more aggressive with rate hikes. The US Labor Department said weekly initial jobless claims dipped to 197,000, below the 200,000 forecast of economists polled by Reuters. It was the latest in a string of reports this week that indicated the labour market was on solid footing, ahead of the government payrolls report on Friday. Treasury yields extended gains, and the benchmark 10-year Treasury note hit a 24-year high, after closing out September with its biggest quarterly gain since 1994, and pushed equities lower after the Institute for Supply Management said its manufacturing PMI dipped to 54.5 last month from 54.6 in August and showed a jump in input prices, raising inflation worries. But yields turned lower as buyers stepped in, and further declined after Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson suggested the central bank may be...