Nasdaq Closes at New High as Other Indexes Slip

US stocks are struggling to a mixed finish after a day of up-and-down trading, the AP reports. The Nasdaq composite managed to post a meager gain Thursday, giving it another record high. Other major indexes closed with minor losses. The Dow Jones industrial average's loss was due entirely to Home Depot, which slumped 4% after Sears announced a deal to sell appliances on Amazon.com. Health care companies including Abbott Laboratories rose, while weaker reports put a dent in industrial and basic materials companies. The Standard & Poor's 500 index slipped less than 1 point to 2,473. The Dow lost 28 points, or 0.1%, to 21,611. The Nasdaq composite edged up almost 5 points, or 0.1%, to 6,390. (More stock market stories.)