NEW YORK -- U.S. stocks barely budged Thursday as investors moved cautiously after two days of large gains. Utilities and phone companies' stock rose the most thanks to a decline in bond yields, while chemicals companies and banks surrendered some of their recent gains.
Stocks alternated between small losses and gains, and moved more on individual news than broad trends. Dollar Tree and Costco shares rose after the retailers reported strong quarterly results. That made them exceptions in a difficult quarter for department stores, watch sellers and clothing companies.
Stocks got a small boost after Jerome Powell, who sits on the Federal Reserve's committee that determines interest rates, suggested that the Fed will wait a little longer before it raises rates again.
"That reduces the risk of an unpleasant surprise at the June meeting," said Jim McDonald, chief investment strategist for Northern Trust. Fed Chairman Janet Yellen will speak at Harvard University today and McDonald said investors did not want to make big moves before they know her views.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 23.22 points, or 0.1 percent, to 17,828.29. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 0.44 points to 2,090.10. The Nasdaq composite index added 6.88 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,901.77.
The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note fell to 1.83 percent from 1.87 percent.
Weak earnings reports have weighed on retailers' stocks in recent weeks. Among other problems, shoppers aren't spending as much on clothes, and the strong dollar is hurting their profits and sales overseas. Department stores have been hit the hardest.
But Thursday several retailers disclosed solid results from the past three months.
Discount retailer Dollar Tree said its first-quarter profit more than tripled, and it raised its forecasts for the year. Its stock gained $10.01, or 12.8 percent, to $88.37. Also jumping after a strong report was PVH, the owner of the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands, which added $3.90, or 4.3 percent, to $93.73. And wholesale club operator Costco rose $5.17, or 3.6 percent, to $149.71.
Like the broader market, oil prices were little changed. U.S. crude slipped 8 cents to $49.48 a barrel in New York, while Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, fell 15 cents to $49.59 a barrel in London. Oil prices are at their highest level since October, but U.S. crude hasn't closed above $50 a barrel since July.
In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 2 cents to $1.62 a gallon. Heating oil declined 1 cent to $1.50 a gallon. Natural gas fell 3 cents to $1.96 per 1,000 cubic feet.
The price of gold slipped for the seventh day in a row, losing $3.40 to $1,220.40 an ounce. Silver rose 8 cents to $16.34 an ounce. Copper was unchanged at $2.10 a pound.
France's CAC and Germany's DAX gained 0.7 percent, and the FTSE in Britain was little changed. Japan's Nikkei 225 index added nearly 0.1 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index added 0.1 percent.
The dollar slipped to 109.72 yen from 110.10 yen. The euro inched up to $1.1191 from $1.1160.
Business on 05/27/2016