Midday Report: Declining Attendance Hurts SeaWorld; Factory Orders Fall

Stocks wavered around the flatline after an unexpected rise in jobless claims worried investors ahead of Friday's jobs report. Crude oil gave no support, staying range-bound after its best gains in three weeks a day earlier. Factory orders declined in June, more evidence of the residual headwinds of a strong dollar and weak overseas demand on manufacturing activity. Orders sharply fell for a second month in a row, though at a slower pace than expected. 21stCentury Fox (FOXA) - Get Report posted a mixed quarter. Income at its filmed-entertainment segment fell as revenue from The Martian and Deadpool failed to catch up with blockbusters Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and The Maze Runner of a year earlier.  SeaWorld (SEAS) - Get Report tumbled on in-line earnings and weaker revenue. A decline in attendance at its Florida theme parks hurt its topline.