Indices closed out mixed today. The Dow and S&P 500 posted light gains. The Nasdaq shed some points. Technology shares such as Hewlett Packard and Cisco traded lower while bank brands American Express and JPMorgan Chase led Dow advancers. Earlier rallying faded as the session progressed. Meanwhile, Target posted quarterly figures. The retailer exceeded expectations by 6 cents with second-quarter earnings of $1.03 a share but revenue of $15.9 billion was short of expectations for sales of $16.17 billion. On another note, the Labor Department said producer prices for finished goods climbed 0.2 percent in July, following a 0.4 percent dip in June. Economists had expected a 0.1 percent increase. Elsewhere, oil tacked on 93 cents to settle at $87.58 a barrel. Looking ahead, existing-home sales levels and July consumer prices data will see the light of day tomorrow.
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