Stocks pared gains and the Nasdaq briefly turned negative on Thursday, weighed down by Apple , which fell after co-founder Steve Jobs resigned as chief executive.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 39.89 points, or 0.35 percent, to 11,360.60. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> added 6.22 points, or 0.53 percent, to 1,183.82. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> rose 5.86 points, or 0.24 percent, to 2,473.55.

(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak)

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