U.S. stocks ended mixed on Monday, as investor worried about a possible federal aid package for Portugal to ease its massive debt crisis. European markets fell Monday as talk that Portugal is being pressured to take a financial aid package to stop the spread of the European debt problem. Investors are also preparing for government bond auctions in Portugal, Spain, and Italy this week. In U.S. economic news, the government's latest reading on the labor market dragged markets lower. The U.S. economy added slightly fewer jobs in December than expected, but the unemployment rate was lower than economists had anticipated. In U.S. company news, Duke Energy Corporation announced Monday it is purchasing Progress Energy Incorporated for $13.7 billion in stock, creating the biggest U.S. utility. Shares of Progress Energy fell 1.6 percent fell after the announcement, as shares of Duke Energy fell 1.2 percent. U.S. chemical maker DuPont said Sunday it will buy Danisco, a Danish enzyme and food ingredients company, for $5.8 billion in cash. Shares of DuPont fell 1.5 percent on Monday. The new electric car from General Motors Company (GM), the Chevrolet Volt, won the annual North American Car of the Year award at the Detroit Auto Show. Shares of GM fell 1 percent after the announcement. --MORE
