U.S. stocks close mixed

NEW YORK, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. stocks closed mixed Wednesday as investors pulled back after Tuesday's strong advances, with Nasdaq taking the brunt of it.

Stocks turned lower despite an increase in existing home sales. The National Association of Realtors said sales rose 4 percent from October to November.

By close of trading on Wall Street, the blue-chip Dow Jones industrial average added 4.16 points, 0.03 percent, to 12,107.74. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 2.42 points, 0.19 percent, to 1,243.72. The tech-dominated Nasdaq composite index gave up 25.76 points, 0.99 percent, to 2,577.97.

On the New York Stock Exchange, 1,871 stocks advanced and 1,171 declined on a volume of 3.4 billion shares traded.

The benchmark 10-year treasury note fell 13/32 to yield 1.972 percent.

The euro fell to $1.3046 from Tuesday's $1.3082. Against the yen, the dollar rose to 78.09 yen from Tuesday's 77.89 yen.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index gained 1.48 percent, 123.50, to 8,459.98.

In London, the FTSE 100 index gave up .055 percent, 29.86, to 5,389.74.