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US STOCKS SNAPSHOT-Nasdaq, S&P 500 fall as tech, data weigh

Tue Oct 27, 2009 4:05pm EDT

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NEW YORK, Oct 27 (Reuters) - The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq fell on Tuesday as investors booked recent profits in the tech sector, while a weaker-than-expected reading on a measure of consumer confidence sparked caution about a pick-up in spending.

Technology shares fared worse than the broader market as investors sold recent winners, and Baidu Inc's (BIDU.O) disappointing outlook added to the negative tone. The semiconductor index .SOXX shed 2.5 percent.

But the Dow clung to a modest gain as shares of Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) and Chevron (CVX.N), both set to report quarterly results later this week, rose on the back of BP Plc's (BP.L)(BP.N) strong earnings.

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI gained 14.21 points, or 0.14 percent, to close unofficially at 9,882.17. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX dropped 3.54 points, or 0.33 percent, to end unofficially at 1,063.41. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC fell 25.76 points, or 1.20 percent, to finish unofficially at 2,116.09. (Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Jan Paschal)



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