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US market indices mixed

13 February 2009 10:39 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Vahab Rzayev - APA-Economics. The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 6.77, or 0.09 percent, to 7,932.76, after falling by more than 245 points in earlier trading. The blue-chip index got within 142 points of its Nov. 20 close of 7,552.29, which was a five-and-a-half year low.
Broader stock indicators ended higher. The Standard & Poorâ€™s 500 index rose 1.45, or 0.17 percent, to 835.19, and the Nasdaq composite index rose 11.21, or 0.73 percent, to 1,541.71.
Japanâ€™s Nikkei stock average fell 3.03 percent. Britainâ€™s FTSE 100 fell 0.76 percent, Germanyâ€™s DAX index fell 2.70 percent, and Franceâ€™s CAC-40 fell 2.09 percent.
A Reuters report that the government plans to subsidize troubled homeownersâ€™ mortgage payments helped the Dow Jones industrial average pare sharp losses Thursday afternoon and finish down less than 7 points. Two people briefed on the plan told The Associated Press it would lower mortgage rates for borrowers on the verge of foreclosure. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the details were not yet complete.
The idea of targeted help for homeowners impressed investors more than the governmentâ€™s $789 billion economic stimulus package and its revised plan to bail out problem banks.