A strong start to November ended in a fade as Europe's debt problems worried investors. But bulls hope recovery signs will spark new buying.
The Dow and S&P 500 slip after 4 days of gains. Gold moves above $1,270. August retail sales are better than expected. Japan moves to push the yen lower. Cisco plans a dividend.
Sirius is the last stock Nasdaq needs to worry about. A de-listing won't happen.
But the major indexes are still lower on the year. Leaders include Home Depot leads the Dow, Airgas on the S&P 500 and Baidu among Nasdaq-100.
Investors are bracing for income and spending data that are expected to show slight gains.
Up 139 early in the afternoon, the Dow fades to a 32-point gain. Oil briefly tops $73. The Treasury's 30-year bond auction is successful.
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