Consolidation

Stocks struggled to a mixed finish Thursday after weak earnings news weighed on the market. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 12 points, but broader indexes posted slight gains. The market had risen steadily in the opening moments of trading following a surprise drop in first-time claims for unemployment benefits, pushing the Dow up as high as 53. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 1 point to 1,183, while the Nasdaq composite rose 4, to 2,507. Not even a falling dollar could provide support for the market. Stocks and commodities have been very sensitive to the movement of the dollar in recent weeks. A decline in the dollar makes riskier assets priced in the currency, such as gold, oil and domestic stocks, more attractive to investors. Our charts are still showing strength and we just keep moving up our stops across the board in order to lock in our profits.