Markets Right Now: US stocks end mostly flat on Wall Street
By Associated Press
Sep 12, 2018 3:10 PM CDT
FILE- In this Sept. 6, 2018, file photo Joseph Lawler, right, works with fellow traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The U.S. stock market opens at 9:30 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 12. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)   (Associated Press)

NEW YORK (AP) — The latest on developments in financial markets (all times local):

4:00 p.m.

After wobbling between gains and losses, U.S. stocks are finishing with a split decision as technology companies dropped, canceling out gains for energy companies.

U.S. crude rose 1.6 percent Wednesday and closed at its highest price in two months. Halliburton rose 2.1 percent.

Chipmakers fell, with Micron Technology down 4.3 percent.

Apple slipped 1.2 percent after announcing new features for iPhones and Apple Watches and Fitbit sank 6.9 percent.

The S&P 500 index gained 1 point to 2,888.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 27 points, or 0.1 percent, to 25,998. The Nasdaq composite fell 18 points, or 0.2 percent, to 7,954.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.96 percent.

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11:45 a.m.

Stocks are wobbling in midday trading on Wall Street as losses for big technology companies and banks cancel out gains elsewhere in the market.

Facebook sank 2.2 percent Wednesday and Wells Fargo gave up 2.3 percent.

Energy stocks rose along with the price of crude oil. Chevron climbed 1.5 percent.

Cigarette makers rose sharply after the Food and Drug Administration said it is looking at steps to combat "an epidemic" of e-cigarette use by teenagers. Altria soared 7.4 percent.

The S&P 500 index slipped 4 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,883.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 64 points, or 0.3 percent, to 26,038. The Nasdaq composite fell 63 points, or 0.8 percent, to 7,909.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.96 percent.

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9:35 a.m.

Stocks are mixed at the open after two days of gains. Energy stocks are higher as Hurricane Florence heads for the U.S. East Coast.

Oil prices are up more than 1 percent. Drivers in North Carolina and South Carolina are using more gasoline as they flee inland before Florence strikes. There also are fears that the storm could disrupt oil supplies.

Apple is down slightly. The iPhone maker is scheduled to introduce new phone models and other products at a company event later in the day. Tech stocks are lower overall. Facebook is down more than 1 percent.

The S&P 500 index was flat at 2,887. The Dow Jones industrials rose 16 points to 25,987, but the Nasdaq composite was off 21 points to 7,951.