Weak housing data stifles markets

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NEW YORK, March 21 (UPI) -- U.S. markets closed mixed Wednesday after the National Association of Realtors said existing home sales fell from January to February.

Following a disappointing construction report issued Tuesday -- with housing starts down, but building permits up -- the NAR said Wednesday that sales fell 0.9 percent from January, but were up 8.8 percent from February 2011.

By close of trading, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 45.57 points, or 0.35 percent, to 13,124.62. The Standard & Poor's 500 index shed 2.63 points, or 0.19 percent, to 1,402.89. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index added 1.17 points, or 0.04 percent, to 3,075.32.

On the New York Stock Exchange, 1.492 shares advanced and 1,519 declined on a volume of 3.3 billion shares traded.

The benchmark 10-year treasury rose 18/32 to yield 2.297 percent.

The euro fell to $1.3212 from Tuesday's $1.3225. Against the yen, the dollar fell to 83.38 yen compared to Tuesday's 83.35 yen.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index dropped 0.55 percent, 55.50, to 10,086.49.