Stocks Mixed as Oil Pulls Back

Stocks ended mixed today as oil prices pulled back after hitting a high of nearly $140 a barrel. Investors are still concerned about economic instability, but many have already abandoned financials, reports the Wall Street Journal. The Dow ended down 38.27 at 12,269.08, the Nasdaq up 20.28 at 2,474.78, and the S&P 500 barely changed, rising 0.11 to 1,360.14 .

Many are also looking to tech stocks, hoping they will remain shielded from the worst of the uncertainty. "We're still in the middle of a global margin call," said one investment strategist. "People are selling the things they can in order to cover the stuff they can't sell." (More stock market stories.)