NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks edged higher on Thursday led by defensive sectors, including healthcare, while retail sales data boosted hopes for consumer spending.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 38.97 points, or 0.22 percent, to 18,039.37, the S&P 500 <.SPX> gained 3.67 points, or 0.17 percent, to 2,108.87 and the Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> added 5.82 points, or 0.11 percent, to 5,082.51.
(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Nick Zieminski)
