The stock market managed a slender gain Thursday after traders shook off a pair of disappointing economic reports.

Traders began buying late in the session, although without the vehemence that has marked other final-hour moves in recent weeks. The Dow Jones industrial average closed up about 24 points after falling 90 early in the day, and scored its first three-day advance since April. The Standard & Poor’s 500 and Nasdaq composite indexes both rose a little more than a point.