US stocks closed mixed on Friday, as a slip in consumer confidence offset upbeat remarks from two technology giants. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 36 points to 9,544. The S&P500 Index lost 2 points to 1,029 and the NASDAQ rose 1 point to 2,029.
Among the economic data released Friday, the latest Reuters/University of Michigan reading of consumer sentiment slipped to 65.7 in August, down from 66 in July. And new data from the Commerce Department showed that consumer spending rose mildly in July, but personal income was unchanged. In company news:Shares in Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) rose 4.01% to $20.25 after the chip maker boosted its third-quarter sales forecast, citing "stronger-than-expected" demand. Dell (NASDAQ:DELL) shares also rose, gaining 1.76% to $15.93 as the computer maker’s fiscal second-quarter profit topped Wall Street expectations and the company offered an encouraging outlook for the second half of the year.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares were steady at $170.05 as the iPhone and iPod maker signed a multiyear deal to take the iPhone to China – considered the world's largest mobile phone market.
Boeing (NYSE:BA) shares fell 1.51% to $51.04 as investors reacted to the news that Boeing customers will finally receive 787 Dreamliner planes in the fourth quarter of 2010.
Checking the NASDAQ Top 100: Making the most gains overnight was Flextronics adding 6.75% to $6.17. Nvidia and Marvell Technology were the next best performers. Looking at the downside, Liberty Media was the worst performer, loosing 3.21% to $9.66, followed by Warner Chilcott and Genzyme.
