NEW YORK (AP) – Stabilizing stock markets abroad sent Wall Street higher in early trading Thursday as investors looked past disappointing retail sales reports for February.

Investors largely took in stride lackluster retail sales figures, including lower-than-expected results from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. However, good news for high-end retailers continued Thursday as Nordstrom Inc. turned in a better-than-expected sales.

In Europe, the major indexes were showing gains of nearly 1 percent after Japan’s Nikkei stock index climbed nearly 2 percent Thursday. The dollar also fought its way higher against the yen, giving a boost to sentiment on Wall Street.

The rise in overseas markets appeared to overshadow word from the Labor Department that the number of newly laid-off workers seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level in a month. The figures arrived a day ahead of the Labor Department’s much-anticipated February employment report.

Investors are eager for signals about the health of the economy, and consumers collecting a paycheck are much more likely to continue the robust spending that has helped keep the economy charging ahead in recent years.

In the first hour of trading, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 86.76, or 0.71 percent, to 12,279.21.

Broader stock indicators also moved higher. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index climbed 12.64, or 0.91 percent, to 1,404.61, and the Nasdaq composite index advanced 24.63, or 1.04 percent, to 2,399.27.

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