U.S. stocks closed lower Thursday, despite fresh Commerce Department data that showed jobless claims falling to their lowest levels since September. Claims are up from lows reached early last year, but are near pre-pandemic levels when the job market was also tight. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 252 points. The Nasdaq fell 0.96% and the S&P 500 lost 0.76%. U.S. corporations seem increasingly pessimistic about growth over the months ahead. Discover Financial Services said Thursday more customers are falling behind on loan and credit card payments. Perhaps that explains a pullback in consumer spending reported by Procter & Gamble, given the rising cost of consumer staples. P&G shares fell 2.1% on the day. Our columnist Aaron Back noted a particularly gloomy tone from Chie