Shares in the US closed down ahead of key jobs data

(Close): US stock markets closed largely down on Thursday as investors remained cautious ahead of Friday's key employment figures.

The non-farm payroll numbers may help the US Federal Reserve decide whether or not it will raise rates in December.

Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen said earlier in the week that it was still "a live possibility" that rates would go up this year.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed flat, down by just 0.02% at 17,863.43

The S&P 500 index closed down 0.11% at 2,099.93, while the Nasdaq closed down 0.29% at 5,127.74.

On a brighter note, shares in Ralph Lauren finished the trading day up 14.91% after the fashion house's second-quarter sales and earnings came in ahead of estimates.

Shares in Facebook finished up 4.64% after the firm said late on Wednesday that its net income rose 11% to $891m (£579m) in the July - September quarter.

Investors will be watching shares of Disney later on Friday after the firm reported rising profits thanks to income from its television channels together with strong theme park attendance.

The global media giant reported profits of $1.6bn (£1.05bn) for the period between July and September compared with $1.5bn at the same time last year.