U.S. stocks closed lower Thursday, a third straight decline, as retailers reported mixed earnings for the previous quarter. Wal-Mart, Ross Stores and Limited Brands, the owner of Victoria's Secret, all fell after issuing forecasts that disappointed financial analysts.
The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 28.57 points, or 0.2 percent, to 12,542.38.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 2.16 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,353.33
The Nasdaq composite index lost 9.87 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,836.94.
For the week:
The Dow is down 273.01 points, or 2.1 percent.
The S&P 500 index is down 26.52 points, or 1.9 percent.
The Nasdaq is down 67.93 points, or 2.3 percent.
For the year:
The Dow is up 324.82 points, or 2.7 percent.
The S&P 500 is up 95.73 points, or 7.6 percent.
The Nasdaq is up 231.79 points, or 8.9 percent.
