Stocks closed mixed, with Apple weighing on the Nasdaq, as investors focused on the latest corporate results and economic data. Purchasing managers indexes for China, the euro zone and America all showed improvement in activity. Jobless claims fell by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 330,000, marking the lowest level since January 2008. The Conference Board’s leading economic indicators index rose 0.5% in December, exceeding estimates. Apple sunk 12.4% following weaker-than-expected results for its December quarter. Netflix surged 42.2% - the biggest gain ever – after solid earnings report. In the evening trade Microsoft fell 1.7% in heavy volume after sales came in slightly lower than analysts had expected. Starbucks gained 2.16% following solid quarterly results.
