Summary Box: Stocks extend advance to 2nd day on economic reports; Traders look to jobs report

Summary Box: Stocks climb on economic reports

ECONOMIC BOOST: Stocks rose Thursday on reports that business at the nation’s services companies grew in May and that the number of people seeking first-time jobless claims slipped for a second week.

EMPLOYMENT PICTURE: Traders did some late-day buying ahead of the Labor Department’s May employment report, which is expected to show that employers added 513,000 jobs.

CONSECUTIVE GAIN: A modest advance of nearly 6 points in the Dow Jones industrials added to a rise of 226 points on Wednesday. It was the Dow’s first consecutive gain since late April.