Stocks jogged higher on generally upbeat economic news in quiet, pre-holiday trading Wednesday. The NYSE composite rolled to a 0.9% gain. The S&P 500 added 0.5%. The Dow and Nasdaq trailed with 0.3% advances each. Volume fell across the board, which is typical for the session before Thanksgiving. The market will reopen Friday with a likely focus on the retail sector. The day after Thanksgiving is the launch of the Christmas shopping season.