Stocks rise amid investors’ tug of war between hope, fear

U.S. stock indexes are modestly higher Thursday, as Wall Street’s tug of war continues between worries about the worsening pandemic in the present and optimism that a vaccine will come in the future. The S&P 500 inched up 0.3% in afternoon trading after earlier flipping between small gains and losses. It follows up on a 1.2% slide from the day before, as the benchmark index backed away from its record set on Monday. A discouraging report on jobless claims underscored the fears that hav