Dow Falls as Nasdaq Posts Gains

Stocks showed mixed results today, as the Dow rallied and then teetered to a loss off lingering fears of recession. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq posted moderate gains buoyed by strong showings by Amazon, Google, Apple, and Research in Motion, Marketwatch reports. The Nasdaq gained 11.82 to end at 2,304.85; the Dow fell 64.87 to 12,181.32, and the S&P 500 dropped 5.62 to 1,331.29.

Banks and brokerages suffered their steepest weekly drop in 6 years, led by stark declines at Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase. The Commerce Department reported that US wholesalers’ inventories grew in December, darkening investor outlook on consumer spending. "We're in a situation where everything is slowing more than people expected," said one economist. (More Dow Jones stories.)