US benchmark equity indexes are on track to close mixed on Thursday after government data showed flat US retail sales in April and a decline in producer prices.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.7% to 42,326.6, and the S&P 500 climbed 0.3% to 5,910.13. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.5% to 19,061.26. Among sectors, utilities led the gainers, and consumer discretionary paced the declines.

Steris (STE) shares surged 8.4%, the top gainer on the S&P, a day after the company reported fiscal Q4 adjusted earnings and revenue that topped Wall Street's estimates.

Cisco Systems (CSCO) shares climbed 5.1%, the biggest increase on the Dow, a day after the networking equipment maker posted fiscal Q3 results that surpassed the Street's estimates as product demand increased.

UnitedHealth Group (UNH) shares fell 12%. The health insurance giant is facing a criminal investigation by the US Department of Justice over possible Medicare fraud tied to its Medicare Advantage operations, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The 10-year US Treasury yield dropped 8.2 basis points to 4.5%, while the two-year rate declined 7.7 basis points to 4%.

June West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 2.1% to $61.82 a barrel.