U.S. stocks closed little changed Thursday as weak economic data and disappointing earnings weighed against a rise in oil prices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 9 points to close at 17,661. The S&P 500 Index slipped 0.5 point to close at 2,051. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed nearly 9 points to finish at 4,717. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq logged a third straight day of losses. Oil futures for June settled up 1.4% at $44.32 a barrel as a wildfire in Canada’s oil-sands region and fighting in Libya threatened to disrupt production.
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