Stocks Ended Mixed as Apple Weighed

The Dow Jones industrial average edged higher and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended lower on Monday as worries over demand for Apple products drove down its shares and as investors braced for earnings disappointments.The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 18.89 points, or 0.14%, to 13,507.32. The S&P 500 index finished down 1.37 point, or l0.09%, to 1,470.68. The Nasdaq Composite shed 8.13 points, or 0.26%, to 3,117.50.

President Barack Obama demanded on Monday that lawmakers raise the nation’s $16.4 trillion federal debt limit quickly, warning that “Social Security benefits and veterans’ checks will be delayed” if they don’t and cautioning Republicans not to insist on cuts to government spending in exchange.

Shares of Dell Inc(NSQ:DELL – News) soared 13 percent to a near eight-month high on Monday after Bloomberg reported the world’s No. 3 PC maker is in talks with at least two private equity firms about going private.

Toyota has once again dethroned General Motors as the world’s top-selling automaker. The Japanese company sold 9.7 million cars and trucks worldwide in 2012, although it’s still counting. GM sold 9.29 million.