Stocks reach for records as U.S. jobless claims dive

By Elizabeth Dilts Marshall and Marc Jones NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global stock markets rose on strong European and U.S. shares on Thursday, with stocks brushing off a rapid re-acceleration in coronavirus cases and oil and the dollar extending their first-half rallies. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 index kicked off the second half of the year at a record high as data showed fewer-than-expected weekly jobless claims, while energy stocks were supported by a spike in oil prices. London, Frankfurt, Paris and Milan overcame a midmorning wobble to keep the pan-European STOXX 600 reaching for a record hig...