Signs of weak holiday spending send retail stocks lower

By KEN SWEET, Associated Press

Nov 30, 2015 10:58 AM CST

Copied

FILE - This July 15, 2013, file photo, shows a sign for Wall Street outside the New York Stock Exchange, in New York. Global stock markets were mostly lower Monday, Nov. 30, 2015, as investors looked ahead to this week's public appearances by the U.S. Federal Reserve chief for signs of whether the central... (Associated Press)

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are edging lower in quiet trading as traders return from the Thanksgiving holiday.

Retail stocks led the declines Monday as early signals on the holiday shopping season failed to impress. Target and Macy's fell 2 percent and Home Depot lost 1 percent.

Investors are focusing on central banks in Europe and the U.S., which are going in different directions on interest rate policy. That has been sending the dollar higher against other currencies like the euro.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 67 points, or 0.4 percent, to 17,731 as of 11:45 a.m. Eastern time.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost seven points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,082. The Nasdaq composite gave up 21 points, or 0.4 percent, to 5,106.