Stocks opened lower on Thursday, putting the S&P 500 on track for its third straight decline as jobless claims data failed to meet heightened market expectations.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> fell 35.11 points, or 0.27 percent, at 13,091.10. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> lost 4.91 points, or 0.35 percent, at 1,400.63. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> dropped 17.52 points, or 0.56 percent, at 3,087.44.

(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)