S&P 500 Ekes Out a Record

The S&P 500 has eked out a new record on an otherwise uneventful day on Wall Street, the AP reports. The benchmark index closed with a gain of 2 points at 3,096, its third straight increase after a decline on Monday. Consumer-focused stocks, including Target and Lowe’s, were the best performers, offsetting declines in technology and energy companies. Cisco Systems dropped 7.3% after giving investors a surprisingly weak revenue forecast. Overall, there was a lack of market-moving news Thursday. Investors are still awaiting more details on the status of trade talks between the US and China. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1 point to 27,781 after dropping around 100 points earlier. The Nasdaq fell 3 points to 8,479. (More stock market stories.)