Stocks Close Lower Under Emerging Market Pressure

U.S. stocks closed lower on Monday in choppy trade as worries over emerging-markets currencies and disappointing news on the housing market unsettled investors. The Dow fell 41.23 points, or 0.26%, at 15,837.88. The S&P 500 finished the day 8.73 points, or 0.49%, lower at 1,781.56. The Nasdaq Composite lost 44.56 points, or 1.08%, to 4,083.61.

Home sales for December came in lower than expected at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 414,000. That was down from November’s revised sales of 445,000 units and below analysts’ estimates of 457,000. December ’s sales marked the second-consecutive monthly decline, but followed a surprisingly large 14.9% jump in
October.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) on Monday reported a fiscal first-quarter profit of $13.1 billion, or $14.50 a share, on revenue of $57.6 billion. During the same period a year ago, Apple earned $13.1 billion, or $13.81 a share, on $54.5 billion in sales.

Most Americans have been victims of data theft, but that hasn’t stopped them from using credit cards and social media sites or shopping online, according to a poll released on Monday.

A federal magistrate judge says the top executive of a New York City-based Bitcoin company can be freed pending trial on charges relating to the black market website Silk Road.