International stocks trading in New York closed mostly lower on Thursday.

The S&P/BNY Mellon index of American depositary receipts edged up 0.02% to 168.50. The European index increased 0.4% to 147.61.

Meanwhile, the Asian index eased 0.3% to 228.30. The Latin American index fell 1.2% to 207.76. And the emerging-markets index declined 0.4% to 386.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. was among the companies whose ADRs traded actively.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. vowed to spend 100 billion yuan (about $15.5 billion) by 2025 to foster social equality, the latest big Chinese company to take up Beijing's drive for what it calls "common prosperity." A report in the Zhejiang News, an outlet run by the provincial branch of the Communist Party, listed a series of uses for the money, including technological innovation and agricultural modernization in less developed regions. A fifth of the money would help develop Alibaba's home province of Zhejiang, the local news media outlet said. The ruling Communist Party's top leadership designated the eastern province as a showcase locality for common prosperity in May. ADRs closed down 0.7% at $172.

Gold Fields Ltd. appointed Yunus Suleman as chairman with effect from June 2022. The mining company said Mr. Suleman will replace Cheryl Carolus, who will step down at the 2022 annual general meeting after seven years as chairwoman. ADRs closed 2.8% lower at $9.01.

A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee is scheduled to discuss on Sept. 17 additional doses of Covid-19 vaccines, specifically the application filed by BioNTech SE and Pfizer Inc. for a third dose of their Covid-19 shot for those aged 16 and older, MarketWatch reported. The Biden administration previously said that "booster" shots would be available to adults starting Sept. 20, though availability will be dependent on a stamp of approval from the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. BioNTech's ADRs closed 1.2% lower at $328.53.

Write to Maria Armental at maria.armental@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

09-02-21 1819ET