U.S. stocks start off on a mixed footing NEW YOR

U.S. stocks start off on a mixed footing
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks began Thursday near flat, with investors finding little motivation to move in either direction after extended gains. "Earnings season is for the most part behind us, and like the rest of America, you've got Congress on vacation, the European Central Bank is on vacation, and the Fed doesn't meet until September," said Art Hogan, equity strategist at Lazard Capital Markets. "We're finding reasons for a slow and steady grind higher, which is better than the alternative, which is a low-volume selloff." The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIJIA) lost 2.24 points to 13,173.4. The S&P 500 index (SNC:SPX) was off half a point at 1,401.70. The Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQ:COMP) rose 4.84 points to 3,016.09.