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Markets closed mixed Monday

NEW YORK, May 19 (UPI) -- U.S. markets swung high and low Monday, with major boards closing mixed.

The Conference board said the leading indicators index, a compilation of 10 major economic benchmarks, rose 0.1 percent in April. But technology stocks dropped after early gains.

At the close Monday, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 41.36 points, or 0.32 percent, to 13,028.16. The Standard and Poor's 500 index rose 1.28 points, or 0.09 percent, to 1,426.63. The Nasdaq composite index of tech-dominated stock fell 12.76, or 0.5 percent, to 2,516.09.

On the New York Stock Exchange, 1,494 stocks advanced and 1,642 declined on a volume of 1.15 billion shares traded.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury note gained 7/32 to yield 3.828 percent.

The dollar was higher. The euro traded at $1.5496 from Friday's $1.5594 and the dollar traded at 104.34 yen from Friday's 104.08 yen.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei index rose 50.13 points to 14,269.61, up 0.35 percent.

In London, the FTSE 100 index rose 72.20 points to 6,376.50, up 1.15 percent.

Used truck sales dragging on industry

DETROIT, May 19 (UPI) -- A collapsing market in large used vehicles is rippling through the U.S. automobile, industry observers said.

With used truck prices falling 13 percent from April 2007 to April 2008, releases of the new Ford F-150 and Dodge Ram pickup trucks may delayed, The Detroit News reported Monday.

A smaller return on used trucks and dealers' reluctance to fold them into new credit lines for a newer truck have caused car makers to reconsider release dates, industry analyst Peter Nesvold told the newspaper.

"Consumers will be less able to use their current used vehicles as currency," Nesvold said.

Prices for used sport utility vehicles also have declined, down 11 percent last month alone, the News reported.

Dealers are blaming high fuel prices for the recent tumble in large vehicle sales. New truck sales have declined and "the used truck business, right now, is absolutely in a free fall," said Kent Ritchey, a Ford and Dodge dealer in Memphis, Mich.

"It's unfortunate that the new trucks are coming to the market in these trying times," he said.

NASA seeks partners in innovation

WASHINGTON, May 19 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency is seeking innovative U.S. companies and organizations to take part in its Innovation Transfusion Program.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said the program allows NASA employees to spend up to a year working in high-tech environments outside the agency where they can "share their expertise while gaining valuable experience and new ideas to bring back to their jobs at NASA."

NASA officials said they will pay the salary and travel expenses for participating NASA employees.

Organizations interested in participating in the program, either by hosting an employee or a workshop, should contact Andrew Petro of NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program at 202-358-0310, or by e-mail at andrew.j.petro@nasa.gov.

McDonald's will change oil by end of year

OAK BROOK, Ill., May 19 (UPI) -- McDonald's Corp. says all its U.S. restaurants will be cooking with oil that is free of trans fats by the end of this year.

The year-end target is the most specific timetable McDonald's has provided so far but it is later than some industry experts and health advocates were expecting, Crain's Chicago Business reported Monday.

At its annual shareholders' meeting last May, the Oak Brook, Ill., company said only that the shift away from trans-fat oil would "be complete within a year."

The switch represents a huge challenge for McDonald's, which uses more than 75 million pounds of oil each year to cook its french fries and chicken nuggets.

Customers flooded the company with complaints in 2002 when it announced plans to switch to a healthier oil.

"They have not progressed as quickly as many expected and (as) they indicated they might," Bob Goldin of Technomic Inc., a Chicago restaurant consultancy, told Crain's Chicago Business.