Stocks Little Changed by Noon After Strong Week

Stocks were little changed on Friday in a pause from a strong performance this week, as investors weighed the latest on the global trade and inflation fronts.The Dow Jones Industrials backed off 95.99 points to break for lunch Friday at 44,615.44The S&P 500 index gained two points to 6,117.07The tech-heavy NASDAQ added 25.42 points to 19,971.07. Traders also shrugged off data released Friday that reflected a 0.9% slump in retail sales for January, worse than the Dow Jones estimate for a 0.2% decline.This week, the S&P 500 is headed to accumulate 1.5% and the Dow is on pace for a gain of 0.9%. The NASDAQ is 2.3% higher this week.On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on laying out a plan to impose levies on goods from countries with duties on U.S. products. The lack of immediate tariffs boosted sentiment, which saw equity markets move higher as investors also piled into technology stocks.While markets managed to end the previous trading session higher one expert expresses the opinion that this relief and positive momentum over a pause in reciprocal tariffs may be short-lived.Sentiment appeared to calm after January’s producer price index, as well as the consumer price index report released earlier this week, suggested a softer reading for the personal consumption expenditures price index. The PCE price index, which is due later this month, is the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge.Prices for the 10-year Treasury won new life, lowering yields to 4.45% from Thursday’s 4.53%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.Oil prices dropped 52 cents to $70.77 U.S. a barrel. Prices for gold subsided $38.70 an ounce to $2,907.10 U.S.