NEW YORK — Renewed worries about Europe overshadowed an encouraging U.S. jobs report on Thursday, leaving major stock indexes roughly where they started.
Germany’s economy shrank more than expected late last year, and the slowdown in Europe’s largest economy deepened the region’s ongoing recession. That’s a troubling sign for the U.S., because sales to Europe have been a boon for American companies.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 9.52 points to close at 13,973.39.
After a strong start, the stock market has drifted sideways over the previous week with few major events to sway investors. That calm could disappear soon, said Doug Cote, chief market strategist at ING U.S. Investment Management.
With recessions in Europe and Japan, and weak growth in the U.S., he’s bracing for some turbulence. “Everybody is too complacent,” Cote said.
Cisco Systems fell 1 percent. The world’s largest maker of computer networking equipment reported earnings late Wednesday that surpassed Wall Street’s expectations, but the company predicted sales growth that was weaker than previous estimates. Cisco’s stock lost 15 cents to $20.99.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 index edged up 1.05 to 1,521.38. The Nasdaq composite index rose 1.78 to 3,198.66. The S&P 500 index has climbed 1.6 percent this month and has already gained 6.7 percent for the year.
Rising and falling stocks were evenly split on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated volume was 3.7 billion shares, slightly higher than the recent average.
Among the many deals announced Thursday, American Airlines and U.S. Airways agreed to merge, creating the country’s largest airline. Warren Buffett and 3G Capital, a private-equity firm, also plan to buy H.J. Heinz for $23 billion. US Airways sank 67 cents to $13.99, while H.J. Heinz soared $12.02 to $72.41.
In the market for U.S. government bonds, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipped to 1.99 percent, down from 2.02 percent the day before.
The 10-year Treasury yield, used to set a variety of borrowing rates, began the year around 1.70 percent and has climbed steadily higher since. As worries about a recession ease, traders have shifted money out of the Treasury market, driving yields up.
Among other companies making news:
Whole Foods Market slumped 10 percent. The grocery-store chain trimmed its forecasts for sales and earnings this year, a result of its plans to open more stores and put more lower-priced goods on its shelves. Whole Foods fell $9.40 to $87.50.
General Motors fell 3 percent after the biggest U.S. automaker said it made money in North America and Asia and nearly doubled last year’s fourth-quarter profit. But its earnings fell short of analysts’ estimates. GM’s stock dropped 92 cents to $27.75.
Business, Pages 28 on 02/15/2013