US stocks hovered near the unchanged mark on Thursday as investors digested a mixed batch of economic data and chose to sit tight ahead of next week's Fed meeting.
Shares of home builders were giving the market a bit of support, lifted in the wake of a report showing new home sales surged to a record high. Strength in software makers like Microsoft Corp and Oracle Corp were helping boost the Nasdaq.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 21.60 points, or 0.21 percent, at 10,457.97. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 1.14 points, or 0.10 percent, at 1,142.92. The technology-laced Nasdaq Composite Index was up 1.88 points, or 0.09 percent, at 2,022.86.