US stock indexes end mostly lower after a listless day
Source: AP-Excite
By ALEX VEIGA
Weak U.S. retail sales data helped set the stage Wednesday for a listless day of trading on Wall Street.
Coming off a two-day losing streak, the major stock indexes spent much of the day drifting between small gains and losses before ending mostly lower.
Technology stocks were among the biggest gainers, sending the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite slightly higher. The Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index notched their third straight loss. The price of U.S. oil fell.
In addition to corporate deals and earnings news, traders had their eye on the Commerce Department's latest monthly snapshot of retail sales. The report, a bellwether for consumer spending, showed retail sales were essentially flat in April, falling short of Wall Street's forecasts. All told, retail sales have risen just 0.9 percent over the past 12 months.
FULL story at link.
FILE - This Jan. 4, 2010 file photo shows an historic marker on Wall Street in New York. U.S. stocks edged higher in early trading Wednesday, May 13, 2015, following broad gains in European markets. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
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