U.S. stocks closed slightly lower Wednesday as investors considered economic reports and corporate results amid an impending Greece parliament vote. The U.S. dollar rose about 0.5 percent against other major currencies. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell $1.63, or 3.1 percent, to $51.41 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, as U.S. government data showed a smaller decline in crude inventories than an earlier industry report suggested. Gold futures fell $6.10 to $1,147.40 an ounce after hitting an eight-month low earlier in the session. The Dow Jones industrial average was virtually unchanged, falling 2.34 to 18,051.24. Twelve of the index's 30 components rose, led by consumer healthcare products giant Johnson & Johnson. Decliners were led by Chevron. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 1.53, or less than 0.1 percent, to 2,107.42. Financials traded at highs not seen since May 2008, leading three sectors higher, while energy was the biggest of seven declining sectors. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index rose 5.95, or 0.1 percent, to 5,098.94. Shares of Apple rose nearly 1.2 percent.
