Dow industrials end lower; Apple helps lift Nasdaq

Dow industrials end lower; Apple helps lift Nasdaq
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Blue-chip stocks closed lower Monday, ahead of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s speech at a Fed retreat later this week, while gains in shares of Apple Inc. helped lift the Nasdaq Composite. The Dow industrials (DJIJIA) closed down 33 points, or 0.3%, at 13,124.67. The Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQ:COMP) rose 3.4 points, or 0.1%, to 3,073.19, with shares of Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) up 1.9%. The S&P 500 (SNC:SPX) slipped 0.7 point to 1,410.44. “Looks like a confused market, as bond prices rise signaling fear, but small-cap stocks continue their outperformance signaling the opposite,” said Michael Gayed, chief investment strategist at Pension Partners LLC. “The world waits for SuperBen and the League of Extraordinary Bankers to put on their suits Friday morning.