U.S. markets hold their own Monday

NEW YORK, March 3 (UPI) -- U.S. markets declined slightly Monday on word from financier Warren Buffet that the insurance business would see declining profits in 2008.

In an interview with CNBC, Buffet also said reports he receives on retail businesses he controls were reporting significant declines in purchases.

The Dow Jones industrial average held on through the day, never breaking into the positive yet closing only 7.49 points down. The Dow index closed at 12,258.90, down 0.06 percent.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index closed with a gain, up 0.71 points to 1,331.34, up 0.05 percent.

The Nasdaq composite index closed at 2,258.60, down 0.57 percent or 12.88 points.

On the New York Stock Exchange, 1,099 stocks advanced and 1,997 declined on a volume of 4.044 billion shares traded.

The 10-year treasury note dropped 7/32 to yield 3.543 percent.

The euro traded at $1.5185 from $1.5181 Friday, while the dollar traded at 103.28 yen, from 103.90 yen Friday.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index fell hard Monday to 12,992.18 points, losing 610.84 by close, off 4.4 percent.

In London at the close, the FTSE 100 index was down 65.70 points to 5,818.60, off 1.12 percent.