US stocks mixed as investors mull economic data

The three main indexes opened with solid gains after a second straight weekly decline, but sentiment was tempered after a batch of contradictory signals on the health of the US economy.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 71.82 points (0.56 percent) to finish at 12,921.41.

The broader S&P 500 inched down 0.69 point (0.05 percent) to 1,369.57, while the Nasdaq tumbled 22.93 (0.76 percent) to 2,988.40, under pressure from technology stocks.

The Commerce Department reported overall retail and food service sales expanded by 0.8 percent last month, slightly below February's increase but better than analysts expected.

But the New York state manufacturing index plunged to 6.6 in April, from 20.2 in March, and a homebuilders sentiment index fell more than expected.

Overhanging the US market was a rise in Spanish and Italian bond yields, said Dick Green at Briefing.com, adding, "the obsession is building."

"The market focus goes through fashions and a shift to Europe would increase anxiety in the US stock market."

In US corporate earnings news, Citigroup reported a $2.9 billion profit for the first quarter of the year, beating market forecasts. Shares in the banking giant rose 1.8 percent.

Toymaker Mattel plunged 9.1 percent after posting first-quarter profit slightly below expectations, with sales in North America falling 9.0 percent.

Wal-Mart rose 1.4 percent. The world's biggest retailer named Marissa Mayer, Google vice president, to its board of directors. Her nomination will be considered at a June 1 shareholders meeting.

Technology stocks weighed on the Nasdaq. Apple sank 4.2 percent and Google shed 3.0 percent.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury fell to 1.97 percent from 2.00 percent Friday while the 30-year yield declined to 3.11 percent from 3.15 percent.