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Stocks end mixed
NEW YORK >> The stock market stalled today, held back by a reported investigation of Boeing and profit-taking from Wall Street's recent rally. Shares closed mixed in light trading.
Analysts said investors played it safe following several weeks of strong earnings and in advance of the Federal Reserve's meeting tomorrow on interest rates.
"We're in between major events," said Steve Kolano, an equity trader at The Boston Company Asset Management. "We had a really good rally on Friday behind strong volume. Right now we're stuck in a range because there's not a lot of evidence yet to take the market higher."
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners 4 to 3 on the New York Stock Exchange. The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 51.11, or 0.6 percent, at 8,531.57, having gained 3.3 percent last week to its highest level since January.
The broader market finished narrowly mixed. The Nasdaq composite index rose 1.16, or 0.1 percent, to 1,504.04, following a weekly advance of 4.8 percent to its best close in 10 months. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 3.53, or 0.4 percent, to 926.55, having increased 3.5 percent. The Russell 2000 index rose 2.14, or 0.5 percent, to 409.81.
The price of the Treasury's 10-year note was up 5/16 point, while its yield fell to 3.88 percent from 3.93 percent late Friday. The price of two-year Treasury notes was up 1/16 point, while the yield fell to 1.53 percent from 1.57 percent late Friday.
Boeing dropped $1 to $27.62 after The Wall Street Journal reported the Justice Department is investigating whether the defense contract improperly used a competitor's documents to win a military contract.
Stocks have surged in recent weeks on investor optimism following better-than-expected first-quarter earnings. But analysts caution that trading will likely be choppy in the near future unless there is more solid evidence of an economic recovery.
"It's a mixed bag on short-term economic news," said Barry Berman, head trader for Robert W. Baird & Co. in Milwaukee. "The market has been moving really well in the face of negative news. But there's a feeling that at some point it will need fundamentals to support it."
A better-than-expected report on the U.S. services sector, meanwhile, temporarily lifted the Dow into positive territory early today but the blue chips soon lost momentum.
The Institute for Supply Management reported that its non-manufacturing index came in at 50.7 in April, up from 47.9 in March, according to Dow Jones Newswires. A reading above 50 indicates growth in the sector; analysts were expecting a reading of 49.0.
Gainers included Oxford Health Plans, which climbed $3.55, or 11.7 percent, to $33.90, after the health insurer said first-quarter profit rose despite charges from a legal settlement.
Several tech stocks also rose, including Juniper Networks, which increased 80 cents to $11.95, and Lucent Technologies, which gained 19 cents to $2.04.
In Europe, France's CAC-40 climbed 1.1 percent and Germany's DAX index rose 0.9 percent. Britain's markets were closed for a bank holiday, while Japan's exchange was closed for Children's Day.
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