U.S. stocks close mixed

NEW YORK, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended mixed on Thursday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 140.59 points, or 0.33 percent, to 42,374.36. The S&P 500 added 12.44 points, or 0.21 percent, to 5,809.86. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased by 138.83 points, or 0.76 percent, to 18,415.49.

Six of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in red, with materials and industrials leading the laggards by dropping 1.42 percent and 0.71 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, consumer discretionary and communication services led the gainers by going up 3.24 percent and 0.24 percent, respectively.