Stocks moved back into the green on Thursday as former FBI director James Comey delivered public testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
The S&P 500 was flat, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.12%. The Nasdaq hit an intraday high in early trading Thursday.
Trading volume on the S&P 500 sat at 671 million shares having traded hands as of late morning. The full-day average daily volume over the past three months is 2.05 billion shares.
In comments to the Senate, Comey said, "I take the president at his word I was fired because of the Russia investigation." When asked, Comey said he had "no doubt" that Russian government officials had attempted to interfere in the 2016 election.
Comey also refrained from calling President Donald Trump's request to drop the investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn an attempt to obstruct justice -- he said it was not "for me to say" what Trump's intent was, though he did find the request "very disturbing."
Sen. Mark Warner, vice chairman of the intelligence committee, said that Comey's firing had raised "troubling" questions and that the committee was not a witch hunt, as Donald Trump had alleged, but an effort to protect the country.
Comey detailed his numerous meetings with Trump since January in his pre-released opening statement on Wednesday afternoon before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Comey said he had not told Trump that he would cease investigations into Flynn despite Trump's request. Comey also said that Trump had said, "I need loyalty. I expect loyalty." Comey based his testimony on his recollections and a series of memos composed after several meetings.