DOW - 3rd DOWN Day

Dow

12,479.58

-68.79

-0.55%

By: Abby Schultz, JeeYeon Park

Stocks ended mixed and off the lows of the session, amid concerns over the U.S. economic recovery and a weak earnings forecast from Hewlett-Packard.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 68.79 points, or 0.55 percent, to close at 12,479.58, after dropping more than 170 points early in the session. It was the third straight day of losses for the blue-chip average, and the lowest close since April 20.



The S&P 500 fell 0.49 points, or 0.04 percent, to close at 1,328.98, the lowest close since April 19 and the third straight down day. The tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 0.90 points, or 0.03 percent, to close at 2,783.21, edging into positive territory just before the market closed. Stocks have already had as many down days in May as in April. The CBOE Volatility Index, widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, rose above 18.