US stocks were little changed on Wednesday as a jump in oil prices to near $80 a barrel boosted the energy sector, but weighed on airlines and other big oil consumers. Losses in the financial sector also kept gains in check amid lingering worries about the US mortgage market.
Energy shares were among the top-weighted gainers on the S&P 500 index and the Dow, with the S&P energy index up 0.7 percent after October crude hit a record high of $79.89 per barrel.
Meanwhile, shares of fuel-hungry airline stocks were trading lower as oil flirted with the $80-level. The American Stock Exchange airline index was down 2.4 percent. Shares of US Airways Group Inc were the worst decliner, down 3.9 percent to $29.95.
Big manufacturers also declined. Alcoa Inc was down 1.6 percent at $33.67. The Dow Jones industrial average was down 11.78 points, or 0.09 percent, at 13,296.61. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 0.23 points, or 0.02 percent, at 1,471.72. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 1.81 points, or 0.07 percent, at 2,599.28.
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