U.S. stock markets ended narrowly mixed today, as many investors continued to position themselves for several bellwether’s fourth quarter earnings reports slated to come out later this week. In economic news, U.S. retail sales came in better-than expected for December; the month saw a 0.5% increase in sales, compared to the forecasted 0.2% increase. New York-area factory activity contracted at a faster pace than economists had predicted, while U.S. wholesale prices slipped in December due to lower food and energy costs. U.S. business inventories, however, expanded in November in line with expectations. Meanwhile, traders remained cautious ahead of earnings reports due tomorrow from Goldman Sachs (GS), JPMorgan (JPM), and Ebay (EBAY) [see also Seven Simple & Cheap ETF Model Portfolios]. Global Market Overview: Retail Sales Pop, Apple Drags On Tech As investors digested a slew of economic reports, only two major U.S. equity indexes managed to close in positive territory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average reversed [...] Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com. Related Posts: ETF Insider: Flirting With Resistance Is A Risky Game 17 ETFs For Day Traders ETF Insider: Beware Of Bargain Shopping ETF Insider: Will The Bears Crash Earnings Season? ETF Insider: Progress In Greece Will Tip Markets