U.S. stock indexes veered slightly lower in afternoon trading Thursday, shedding modest gains from earlier in the day. Losses in retailers, restaurant chains and other consumer-focused companies outweighed gains in financials and other sectors. Investors were sizing up the latest company earnings and outlooks. Bond prices fell, sending yields higher. Crude oil prices rose.
KEEPING SCORE: The Standard & Poor’s 500 index slipped 4 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,819 as of 2:27 p.m. Eastern Time. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 17 points, or 0.1 percent, to 26,132. The Nasdaq fell 21 points, or 0.3 percent, to 7,389. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks picked up 3 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,578.