* Goldman Sachs posts strong profit, but shares flat
* Corporate profits underpin the market
* June retail sales signal weak consumer demand
* Dow up 0.03 pct, S&P 500 up 0.2 pct, Nasdaq up 0.2 pct
*For up-to-the-minute market news click [STXNEWS/US]
(Updates to midday, changes byline)
By Rachel Chang
NEW YORK, July 14 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were little
changed on Tuesday as positive news from the corporate
earnings season offset data pointing to weak consumer demand.
Earnings dominated the news, with Johnson & Johnson's
(JNJ.N) profit and revenue beating analysts' forecasts. J&J, a
Dow component whose products range from Band-Aids to complex
biotech drugs, rose 0.3 percent to $57.90.[ID:nN14253944]
Goldman Sachs reported a near doubling of trading revenue,
although its stock was up just 0.07 percent at $149.54 after a
gain of more than 5 percent on Monday.
Stocks were also bolstered by comments from the chief
executive of railroad company CSX Corp (CSX.N), who said on
Tuesday that the worst of the recession seems to be over.
[ID:nN14255730]
The company, which reported better-than-expected results on
Monday after the closing bell, saw its shares rise 6.3 percent
to $34.58. The Dow Jones Transportation Average .DJT gained
1.3 percent.
"There have been very few negative pre-announcements so
far, which leads us to believe that we will see a predominance
of reporting in line with or above expectations," said Tim
Ghriskey, chief investment officer of Solaris Asset Management
in Bedford Hills, New York.
The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI was up 2.49
points, or 0.03 percent, at 8,334.17. The Standard & Poor's
500 Index .SPX rose 1.96 points, or 0.22 percent, to 903.01.
The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC was up 2.79 points, or 0.16
percent, at 1,796.04.
The energy sector .GSPE advanced 0.6 percent, boosted by
U.S. crude futures rising 36 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $60.05
a barrel.
Helping to limit gains was Dell Corp's (DELL.O) forecast
late Monday of lower gross margins in the quarter as demand
has shifted toward cheaper computers such as netbooks.
[ID:nN13208933]
Dell shares fell 7.2 percent to $12.08, weighing down the
Nasdaq and the S&P 500's information technology index.GSPT.
Even though June total retail sales rose 0.6 percent, which
was more than forecast, a big part of that gain was due to
rising gasoline prices. Excluding autos and gas sales, retail
sales registered a fourth consecutive monthly decline. For
details see [ID:nN14252432].
A rebound in sales is considered vital for the U.S. economy
to bounce back from recession, as consumer spending accounts
for roughly two-thirds of the country's economic activity.
(Editing by Jan Paschal)
