U.S. stocks end lower after weak batch of earnings
U.S. stocks edged lower on Friday after a weak batch of corporate earnings weighed on the broader market. Travelers Cos. Inc and Verizon Communications weighed on the Dow Jones Industrial Average , sending the blue chip gauge down 16.64 points, or 0.1%, to 18,145.71, despite a strong performance from Microsoft Inc. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 finished essentially flat at 2,141.16. The Nasdaq Composite gained 15.57 points, or 0.3%, to 5,257.40, buoyed by Microsoft. Both the S&P and Nasdaq logged their strongest weekly gains in a month, amid upbeat earnings from Netflix , Goldman Sachs Group , Bank of New York Mellon , Johnson & Johnson , American Air Lines and American Express.
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