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US stocks finish slightly higher

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Yen inches up vs US dollar

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US presidential debate set for late Thursday

(Updates to 4:30 p.m. ET)

By Caroline Valetkevitch

NEW YORK, June 27 (Reuters) - Global stock indexes edged

higher on Thursday, while U.S. Treasury yields declined slightly

after a series of U.S. economic reports suggested ebbing

momentum.

Traders were eager to see Friday's U.S. personal consumption

expenditures (PCE) data, which is the Federal Reserve's

preferred inflation measure and could help investors determine

the U.S. interest rate outlook.

Thursday's data mostly supported the view the Fed could soon

begin cutting interest rates. It included a report showing

first-time applications for U.S. unemployment benefits drifted

lower last week, but the number of people on jobless rolls

jumped to a 2-1/2-year high in mid-June.

"The bond market is taking some of the weaker economic data

to heart," said Paul Nolte, senior wealth advisor and market

strategist for Murphy & Sylvest in Elmhurst, Illinois.

Investors were also gearing up for the U.S. presidential

debate, he added.

U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump

head to the first of two debates ahead of their election rematch

this November. The debate will air at 9 p.m. ET (0100 GMT on

Friday) on CNN.

The Japanese yen edged up from a 38-year low against the

U.S. dollar on Thursday, helped by the softening U.S. economic

data.

But investors remained on high alert for any signs of

Japanese intervention to prop up the currency.

Japan's finance minister has said he would take any

necessary action on currencies, and that Japanese authorities

were "deeply concerned" about the effect of the yen's drop on

the economy.

The Japanese yen strengthened 0.03% against the

greenback at 160.77 per dollar.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback

against a basket of currencies, fell 0.12% at 105.92, with the

euro up 0.22% at $1.0702.

All three of Wall Street's major stock indexes ended

slightly higher.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 36.26 points,

or 0.09%, to 39,164.06, the S&P 500 gained 4.97 points,

or 0.09%, to 5,482.87 and the Nasdaq Composite was up

53.53 points, or 0.30%, to 17,858.68.

Among the day's decliners, however, was Micron Technology ( MU )

, whose shares fell 7.1% after a disappointing revenue

forecast late on Wednesday. An index of semiconductors

ended down 0.6%.

MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe rose

0.02 points to 803.75. The STOXX 600 index fell 0.43%.

France, Italy and Spain will also release inflation data on

Friday.

Investors have become more worried about inflation following

a surprise jump in inflation data in Australia on Wednesday and

in Canada on Tuesday.

Also, the first round of French parliamentary elections will

take place on Sunday.

In U.S. Treasuries, the yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year

notes fell 3 basis points to 4.286%, from 4.316%

late on Wednesday.

Brent crude oil futures rose $1.14, or 1.34%, to

settle at $86.39 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude

futures gained 84 cents, or 1.04%, to settle at $81.74.