What you need to know… The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) Thursday closed up +0.80%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index ($DOWI) (DIA) closed up +0.17%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) closed up +1.48%. Stocks on Thursday posted moderate gains, with the Nasdaq 100 climbing to a 1-week high. Optimism around artificial intelligence (AI) boosted technology stocks and led the broader market higher. Stocks maintained their gains after weekly U.S. jobless claims came in near expectations, although continuing claims fell more than expected, indicating that laid-off workers are finding jobs. On the pos…