Stocks end mixed ahead of Friday jobs report

Stocks on Wall Street ended mixed Thursday as investors turned their eyes to solid employment data and a deal in the food sector.

The Nasdaq composite finished up 0.4%, but the Dow Jones industrial average and the S&P 500 slid 0.1% each.

All three major U.S. stock indexes are again with striking distance of their levels before the Brexit vote last month.

Investors are still grappling with the fallout from the 'Brexit' vote, which puts Britain on track to exit the European Union in coming years. Wall Street is also looking ahead to Friday's June jobs report, which could shed light on the strength of the U.S. labor market following two straight months of disappointing job growth.

In deal news, Paris-based Danone, maker of Dannon yogurt, agreed to acquire organic food provider WhiteWave Foods (WWAV) for $56.25, or nearly 20% higher than its pre-deal price.

Danone buying WhiteWave Foods in $10.1 billion deal

The deal is valued at more than $10 billion. WhiteWave shares rose about 19% to $56.30. WhiteWave has health-oriented brands like Silk, Horizon Organic and Earthbound Farm

On the economic front, payroll processor ADP reported that private employers added 172,000 jobs in June, above the 160,000 analysts had forecast. The number of Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits last week fell 16,000 to 254,000, also a better reading than economists had forecast.

ADP: Businesses added 172,000 jobs in June

A strong profit report from Pepiso (PEP), which also boosted its guidance for 2016, boosted investor sentiment. Pepsico shares were up more than 2% to $108.25.

So-called risk assets, such as stocks and commodities, are on the rise around the globe. Equities were higher in Europe, with the broad Stoxx Europe 600 rising 1.5%. Germany's DAX index rose 0.9%, while the CAC 40 in Paris was 1.4% higher and the FTSE 100 in London was 1.6% higher.

In a sign that investor risk-aversion is abating -- at least for today -- the British pound was up nearly 0.7% vs. the dollar. But the price of a barrel of U.S.-produced crude is down 3.3% to $45.89. Crude took a hit after the government reported that U.S. crude inventories shrank less than expectred in the latest week.