Stocks Closed First Day of 2015 Mixed

U.S. stocks closed mixed on Friday in the first trading session of 2015, as investors assessed data
showing manufacturing cooled. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 9.92 points, or 0.06%, to 17,832.99. The Standard & Poor’s 500 fell 0.70 point, or 0.03%, to 2058.20. The Nasdaq composite dropped 9.24 points, or 0.20%, to 4726.81.

The U.S. manufacturing sector slowed in December to its lowest rate of growth since last January. The
Institute for Supply Management’s factory index dropped to a six-month low of 55.5, less than forecast,
from 58.7 in November.

Outlays for U.S. construction projects fell 0.3% in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $975 billion, the U.S. Commerce Department reported Friday.