(By Balachander) U.S. stocks ended on a mixed note as investors digested mixed earnings reports that included weak results from Apple Inc. and a fall in new home sales.
S&P 500 Index dipped 0.03 percent to close at 1,337.90. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.47 percent to end at 12,676.05. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 0.31 percent to finish at 2,854.24.
On the domestic economic front, a report from the Commerce Department showed that new home sales fell in June, the weakest since January. Sales of newly built homes were 350,000 last month versus a revised 382,000 in May, and also trailed economists expectations of 372,000.
Hot Stocks Of The Day: AAPL, NFLX, ALTR, SYMC, BA, TRIP, WLP, JNPR, RSH
In corporate news, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) retreated 4.32 percent after the technology giant posted quarterly earnings and revenue that trailed market expectations as sales of iPhone came in below Wall Street projections.
Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) plunged 25.02 percent after the California-based video streaming company posted lower quarterly earnings as margins contracted.
Altera Corp. (NASDAQ:ALTR) jumped 12.19 percent after the programmable chip maker announced better-than-expected quarterly sales. The company forecast a low-to-mid single digit sales growth for the third quarter on a sequential basis.
Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ:SYMC) surged 13.55 percent. The data storage company, which posted better-than-expected quarterly results, said its chief executive Enrique Salem has stepped down effective immediately.
Tripadvisor Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) tumbled 16.77 percent after the online travel research company posted second-quarter revenue that trailed expectations.
WellPoint Inc. (NYSE:WLP) lost 12.06 percent after the Indianapolis, Indiana-based health benefits company reduced its guidance for the full year following weaker than expected quarterly numbers.
Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA) advanced 2.78 percent after the aerospace giant boosted its 2012 earnings forecast following better-than-expected quarterly results, driven by strong commercial airplane deliveries.
PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE:PEP) rose 2.20 percent after the beverage giant posted earnings that topped consensus for the second quarter.
Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE:LLY) gained 2.72 percent after the drug maker raised its full-year forecast following stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings. Net earnings fell as patent expirations of anti-psychotic drug Zyprexa drove lower revenue and margins.
Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) and Hess Corp. (NYSE:HES) added 1.44 percent and 3.48 percent, respectively, following their quarterly reports.
Juniper Networks Inc. (NYSE:JNPR) rose 11.44 percent following better-than-forecast earnings and revenue for the second quarter. However, the company issued a downbeat guidance for the third quarter.
RadioShack Corp. (NYSE:RSH) retreated 28.77 percent after the company posted a quarterly loss amid fall in consumer electronics sales and increase in costs. The company also decided to suspend its dividend.
Global Markets:
European markets ended mixed, with Germany's DAX adding 0.25 percent to close at 6,406.52. France's CAC40 rose 0.23 percent to finish at 3,081.74. U.K.'s FTSE 100 edged 0.02 percent lower to end at 5,498.32.
Among Asian markets, China's Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index dropped 0.49 percent to finish at 2,136.15. Japan's Nikkei 225 tumbled 1.44 percent to end at 8,365.90. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index slipped 0.14 percent to end at 18,877.33. India's BSE Sensex finished at 16,846.05, down 0.43 percent.
Commodity & Currency Scan:
Crude oil futures rose 0.44 percent to $88.89 per barrel while natural gas futures lost 3.70 percent to $3.069 per million metric British thermal units. Gold futures jumped 1.71 percent to $1,607.8 per ounce and silver futures added 1.81 percent to $27.295 per ounce.
In the currency market, the euro rose 0.78 percent against the U.S. dollar to 1.2155. The British pound shed 0.04 percent against the greenback to 1.5500, while the dollar dropped 0.03 percent against the Japanese yen to 78.1700.