In the week ending August 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance was 274,000, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week’s revised level, the Labor Department reported. The four-week moving average was 266,250, a decrease of 1,750 from the previous week’s revised average. This is the lowest level for this average since April 15, 2000 when it was 266,250.

The U.S. Census Bureau announced that the combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for June, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,325.5 billion, up 0.2% from May, but down 2.5% from June 2014. 

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for July, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $446.5 billion, an increase of 0.6% from the previous month, and up 2.4% from July 2014. Total sales for the May through July period were up 2.3% from the same period a year ago.

The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is 3.94%, up from 3.91% one week ago, according to Freddie Mac. The average interest rate for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage is 3.17%, up from 3.13%.

U.S. stock indices were little changed Thursday as the decline in China’s currency slowed, according to the Associated Press. The Dow inched up 5.74 points (0.03%) to 17,408.25, the NASDAQ lost 10.83 points (0.21%) to finish at 5,033.56, and the S&P 500 was down 2.64 points (0.13%) at 2,083.41. the Russell 2000 closed 4.24 points (0.35%) lower at 1,204.74, and the Wilshire 5000 decreased 32.08 points (0.15%) to 21,914.07.

On the NYSE, 3.2 billion shares changed hands, with 1.5 declining issues for every advancing issue. On the NASDAQ, nearly 2.8 billion shares traded, with a 1.3 to 1 ratio of decliners to advancers.

The price of the 10-year Treasury note decreased 15/32, bringing its yield up to 2.185%. The price of the 30-year Treasury bond was down 11/32, increasing its yield to 2.857%.

ON THIS DATE: In 1848, the Oregon Territory was established. In 1935, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. In 1945, U.S. President Truman announced that Japan had surrendered unconditionally. The surrender ended World War II. In 1953, the whiffle ball was invented. In 1980, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) was incorporated. In 1995, Shannon Faulkner became the first female cadet in the history of The Citadel, South Carolina’s state military college. She quit the school less than a week later.

And now it’s time for FRIDAY FILES!

In Finleyville, Pennsylvania, a man has been charged with as.sault—over a Big Mac. According to the Associated Press, police responded to a call to a home shared by two brothers. Apparently one brother returned home to find that the other had eaten all three Big Mac sandwiches that were in the house and didn’t save him one. He began knocking over appliances and furniture and throwing food. He also beat his brother, bruising the man’s right eye and left cheek, and cutting his ear.