US stocks mustered only tiny gains on Wednesday, despite stronger-than-expected durable goods and housing data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 4.23 points or 0.04% to finish at 9,543.52. The S&P 500 added 0.12 points or 0.01% to end at 1,028.12. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.20 points or 0.01% to 2,024.43.

According to US Department of Commerce, orders for durable goods jumped 4.9% in July, the biggest increase in two years. Economists on average had projected an increase of 3.2%.

In a separate release, the Commerce Department said that sales of new homes rose for the fourth month in a row in July, increasing an estimated 9.6% to an annual rate of 433,000. Economists expected new home sales to rise at seasonally adjusted pace of 390,000.

The Mortgage Bankers Association said Wednesday that its mortgage applications filed last week increased a seasonally adjusted 7.5% compared with the week before, boosted primarily by refinancing activity.

Among home builders, shares of D.R. Horton Inc (NYSE: DHI) jumped 74 cents or 5.7% to $13.79. Pulte Homes climbed 26 cents or 1.99% to $13.32.

Shares of General Electric Co. (NYSE:GE) plunged 19 cents or 1.33% to $14.11.According to media reports, the diversified US firm has put its security business up for sale in an auction that could fetch about $2 billion and has hired JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM) as its financial adviser.

3m Co. (NYSE: MMM) tumbled $1.26 or 1.73% to $71.42.

Equipment maker Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) lost 58 cents or 1.21% to close at $47.25. 

Shares of Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) advanced 33 cents or 1.73% to $19.43.

Early on Wednesday, Williams-Sonoma Inc. (NYSE: WSM) reported their second-quarter net income fell to $399,000, or breakeven, versus $18.4 million, or 17 cents a share in the year-ago period. On an adjusted basis, the company earned 5 cents a share compared to 9 cents a share. Revenue dropped to $672 million from $820 million. Shares of the company rallied $1.74 or 11.25% to $17.21.

Discount retailer Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR) said that its second quarter net income climbed to $56.9 million, or 63 cents a share, from $37.6 million, or 42 cents a share, in the prior year quarter. Revenue rose to $1.22 billion from $1.09 billion. Looking ahead, the company expects their third-quarter profit in the range of 58 cents to 64 cents a share with comparable-store sales rising in the low-to-mid single digits. It expects to report its third quarter revenue in the range of $1.19 billion to $1.23 billion. Shares climbed $2.23 or 4.66% to $50.13.

Shares of Myriad Genetics (NASDAQ: MYGN) soared $5.01 or 19.36% to $30.89. The company reported better than expected results late Tuesday.

Late on Tuesday, Colonial BancGroup Inc., the Montgomery-based real estate lender, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

European stocks settled down. The UK FTSE dropped 26.22 points or 0.53% to 4,890.58. The German DAX and French CAC decreased 0.63% and 0.33% respectively.

Asian stocks finished up. The Nikkei 225 rose 142.35 points or 1.36% to 10,497.36. The Hang Seng index of Hong Kong slipped 100.70 points or 0.49% to 20,435.24.
 
NYMEX crude oil for October delivery declined 68 cents or 0.9% to settle at $71.37 a barrel .

Disclosure: Author doesn’t own any of the stocks mentioned here.