Stocks finished mixed Tuesday as questions about Citigroup's future and Alcoa's big quarterly loss led to concerns about the weak corporate profit environment. Stocks were volatile through the early afternoon, with weakness in banks, industrial stocks, and aluminum maker Alcoa offsetting strength in technology. The U.S. federal budget deficit grew by $83.6 billion in December, the government reported, bringing the total deficit for the first three months of fiscal-year 2009 to $485.2 billion, more than the deficit for all of 2008. The U.S. trade deficit in November fell to a five-year low, as the recession weakened demand for oil and imports from China. Exports fell due to declining demand for U.S.-made farm products and autos. Speaking in London, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the nearly $800 billion stimulus plan proposed by President-elect Barack Obama could help the economy. However, he also said additional bank rescues may be needed. Light sweet crude oil for February delivery fell 19 cents to $37.78 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The U.S. dollar gained versus the euro and the yen. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 25.41, or 0.3 percent, to 8,448.56. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 1.53, or 0.2 percent, to 871.79. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index rose 7.67, or 0.5 percent, to 1,546.46. The New York Stock Exchange composite index fell 12.19 to 5,538.84. The American Stock Exchange composite index fell 15.94 to 1,405.00. And the Russell 2000 index rose 4.99 to 473.79.
