• The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 119.13 points, or 0.58 percent, to 20,404.15, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 4.03 points, or 0.17 percent, to 2,338.16 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 13.56 points, or 0.23 percent, to 5,863.03.
The S&P 500 and Dow closed lower and the Nasdaq advanced on Wednesday as investors digested the latest round of earnings, while a drop in oil prices weighed on the energy sector. The energy sector .SPNY slumped 1.4 percent for its fifth drop in six sessions as oil prices settled nearly 4 percent lower.
• IBM (IBM.N) sank 4.9 percent to $161.69 after the company reported a bigger-than-expected decline in revenue for the first time in five quarters. The stock was the biggest drag on the S&P and the price-weighted Dow.
• Asian stocks may slip for a second consecutive day on Thursday as a weak Wall Street and declining commodity prices, especially for oil, prompted investors to trim their exposure to risky assets.
With the outcome of the French presidential elections due at the weekend, markets are set to trade in well worn trading ranges, barring any major data surprises in Asia.
• MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS slipped 0.5 percent in early trades after declining nearly 1 percent on Wednesday.
Reference: Reuters
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