Indices ended mixed on Friday. The Dow shed a few points, while the Nasdaq added gains and the S&P 500 closed at a four-year high level. Brands made mixed moves amid a variety of news. Crude oil tacked on $1.94 to settle at $109.77 a barrel. Meanwhile, consumer confidence edged up in February. The University of Michigan’s index of consumer sentiment came in at 75.3. Up a fraction of a point from January, economists had expected a decline to a reading to 73. On another note, the Commerce Department said new-home sales for January hit an annual rate of 321,000, a 3.5% jump over last year. Though the figure showed a 0.9% dip from December’s upwardly revised pace of 324,000, the level still exceeded expectations for the sales rate to drop to 315,000. Looking ahead to next week, Yelp.com, the restaurant and entertainment reviews website, is set to launch its IPO and Internet discount-travel titan Priceline.com will issue earnings details.
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