Hijjah 12, 1431H, Nov 18, 2010, SPA -- Stocks were little changed Wednesday, ending mixed, as investors considered U.S. inflation and housing reports. In U.S. economic news, consumer prices rose slightly in October but there is little sign of inflationary pressure. Inflation increased 1.2 percent over the past 12 months. Excluding volatile energy and food costs, “core” consumer inflation rose only 0.6 percent over the past 12 months, the smallest annual price increase on records dating back to 1957. A second government report showed that housing starts fell nearly 12 percent in October to a near-record low, while building permits-considered a gauge of builder confidence-remained flat, also near record low levels. The U.S. dollar fell versus the euro and the yen. Light sweet crude oil for December delivery fell $1.61 to $80.73 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold futures fell 90 cents to $1,337.50 an ounce. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 15.62, or 0.1 percent, to 11,007.88. Home Depot and Hewlett-Packard were the index's biggest losers, but Caterpillar, McDonald's, and Travelers gained. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index was virtually unchanged, rising 0.25 to 1,178.59. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index rose 6.17, or 0.25 percent, to 2,476.01.
