US stocks : Dow up 0.2 pct
The Dow and S&P 500 edged higher on Tuesday after stronger-than-expected retail data, though tech heavyweight Apple dragged on the market for a third day.
Apple was the biggest weight on both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 after reports on Monday of cuts to orders for iPhone parts. Shares declined 3.2 percent to $485.92 and closed below $500 for the first time since February.
Retail stocks advanced after a government report showing retail sales rose more than expected in December was seen as a favorable sign for fourth-quarter growth. A separate report showed manufacturing activity in New York state contracted for the sixth month in a row in January.
"A little better-than-expected news on retail sales once again reinforces that the consumer remains alive and reasonably well," said Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott in Philadelphia, which manages about $54 billion in assets.
Among retailers, American Eagle Outfitters Inc gained 4.8 percent to $20.58 and Gap Inc rose 3.4 percent to $32.46. The Morgan Stanley retail index advanced 1.5 percent.
Express Inc surged 23.8 percent to $17.40 after the apparel retailer raised its fourth-quarter and full year 2012 outlook.
The Dow Jones industrial average was up 27.57 points, or 0.20 percent, at 13,534.89. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 1.66 points, or 0.11 percent, at 1,472.34. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 6.72 points, or 0.22 percent, at 3,110.78.
Apple's stock has lost about 7 percent in the last three sessions and is down 8.7 percent since the
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