Wall Street ends slightly down, S&P positive for 7th week

The S&P 500 dipped in a late declin as Wal-Mart dropped following a report of a weak start to February sales, though the index just barely extended its streak of weekly gains to seven.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 11.27 points, or 0.08 percent, at 13,984.66. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 0.32 points, or 0.02 percent, at 1,521.70. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 1.51 points, or 0.05 percent, at 3,200.17

European shares were broadly flat today with the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index little changed at 1,163.68 points following dismal gross domestic product data from across the euro zone yesterday.

Frankfurt's DAX and London's FTSE were also little changed while Paris's CAC-40 gained 0.3 percent.

The surprisingly sharp contraction in the region's economy during the final three months of 2012 has undermined hopes of an early recovery from recession, though it has also boosted talk that the European Central Bank may have to ease further.

European shares have risen strongly from a low point last June, buoyed by an ECB pledge of new measures to tackle the region's economic problems, and any fall back in prices is expected to be temporary.