Stocks Ended Mixed on Weak Retail Sales Data

U. S. stocks ended mixed on Thursday, as much weaker-than-expected data for retail sales outweighed optimism over trade deal progress. The Dow Industrial Average fell 103.88 points, or 0.41%, to 25,439.39. The S&P 500 was down 7.30 points, or 0.27%, to 2,745.73. The Nasdaq Composite gained 6.58 points, or 0.09%, to 7,426.95.

Oil futures ended higher Thursday as traders weighed potential outcomes for U.S.-China trade talks. March West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 51 cents, or 1%, to settle at $54.41 a barrel. April Brent added 96 cents, or 1.5%, to $64.57 a barrel.

Retail sales sank 1.2% in December, the U.S. Census Bureau said Thursday. It’s the largest drop since September 2009, a few months after the end of the Great Recession.

A U.S. delegation including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer are meeting with Chinese officials Thursday and Friday as the two sides try to come to a more permanent trade agreement.