S&P 500 barely gains, investors wait for economic data

The Dow fell 89.37 points, or 0.21%, to 42,051.06, the S&P 500 gained 6.03 points, or 0.10%, to 5,892.58, while the Nasdaq gained 136.72 points, or 0.72%, to 19,146.81.

NEW YORK: The S&P 500 closed slightly higher after flitting between gains and losses during Wednesday's lackluster session as investors waited for the next batch of economic data after a robust start to the week spurred by soft inflation data and a US-China tariff truce.

Investors were watching out for more trade developments while President Donald Trump toured the Gulf states and secured US$600 billion in commitments from Saudi Arabia. Some US tech companies rallied after the administration announced artificial-intelligence-related deals in the Middle East on Tuesday.