Stocks shake off an early slump, close mixed; S&P 500 narrowly avoids its third straight loss

U.S. stocks are finishing mixed after a listless day as traders continue to worry about slowing growth in China and tensions in Ukraine.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index managed a small gain Wednesday, narrowly avoiding its first three-day losing streak since January.

The S&P 500 increased half a point to 1,868 points.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 11 points, or 0.1 per cent, to 16,340.

Technology stocks were mostly higher. The Nasdaq composite rose 16 points, or 0.4 per cent, to 4,323. Facebook and Microsoft both rose.

Mining companies rose as metals prices increased. Newmont Mining rose 3 per cent and Cliffs Natural Resources rose 2 per cent.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.72 per cent from 2.77 per cent.