US stocks flat as Walmart, Home Depot gain

AFP, NEW YORK : Wall Street stocks were little changed early Tuesday following better-than-expected earnings from retail giants Wal-Mart and Home Depot and US data showing somewhat higher inflation.
About 45 minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 17,480.48, down 2.53 points (0.01 per cent).
The broad-based S&P 500 was essentially flat at 2,053.20, up 0.01 of a point, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 1.27 (0.03 percent) to 4,985.89.
Wal-Mart Stores rose 2.7 percent as it reported third-quarter earnings of $1.03 per share, five cents above expectations.
Fellow Dow member Home Depot gained 3.2 percent after reporting that third-quarter earnings surged 12.2 percent to $1.7 billion.
The solid results from Walmart and Home Depot helped compensate for disappointing earnings last week from Macy's and some other retailers.
Data showed the US consumer price index rose 0.2 percent month on month in October, with key elements like health care and housing costs pushing higher in a potential sign of inflation picking up.

US stocks flat as Walmart, Home Depot gain

AFP, NEW YORK : Wall Street stocks were little changed early Tuesday following better-than-expected earnings from retail giants Wal-Mart and Home Depot and US data showing somewhat higher inflation. About 45 minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 17,480.48, down 2.53 points (0.01 per cent). The broad-based SP 500 was essentially flat at 2,053.20, up 0.01 of a point, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 1.27 (0.03 percent) to 4,985.89. Wal-Mart Stores rose 2.7 percent as it reported third-quarter earnings of $1.03 per share, five cents above expectations. Fellow Dow member Home Depot gained 3.2 percent after reporting that third-quarter earnings surged 12.2 percent to $1.7 billion. The solid results from Walmart and Home Depot helped compensate for disappointing earnings last week from Macys and some other retailers. Data showed the US consumer price index rose 0.2 percent month on month in October, with key elements like health care and housing costs pushing higher in a potential sign of inflation picking up.