Stocks Ended Mixed; Apple and BlackBerry Lift Nasdaq

The Dow and the S&P 500 indexes fell on Monday, but Apple and BlackBerry kept the Nasdaq index afloat. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended down 5.83 points, or 0.04%, at 15,419.68. The S&P 500 lost 1.95 points, or 0.12%, to 1,689.47. The  Nasdaq Composite rose 9.84 points, or 0.27%, to 3,669.95.

Gains from Apple Inc. and LinkedIn Corp. were among the tech-sector standouts Monday, but the most notable advancer was BlackBerry Ltd. after the troubled smartphone maker said it would consider putting itself up for sale.

The United States ran a budget deficit in July. The U.S. government spent $98 billion more than it took in last month, with the deficit driven by spending on healthcare programs, pensions for the elderly and the military.

An affiliated fund of Steven A. Cohen’s SAC Capital Advisors shut down last week as the $14 billion hedge fund begins to shrink in the wake of a criminal indictment filed against it in July, according to two people familiar with the unit’s closure.

A new bid to buy a legendary piano maker could be music to the ears of its shareholders. Steinway Musical Instruments Inc. said Monday that an investment firm has offered to pay $38 per share, or about $477 million, for the company. That tops an earlier bid of $438 million, from Kohlberg & Co.

Yum Brands Inc. (NYSE:YUM) shares declined after hours Monday when the fast-food chain operator estimated a double-digit July same-store sale decline in China.