US stock indexes edge mostly lower in early trading

U.S. stocks barely budged in early trading Wednesday, hovering between small gains and losses. Consumer-focused stocks were moving higher, while health care, banks and energy companies lagged the most. Investors pored over another crop of earnings reports from retailers, restaurant chains and other companies.

KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average rose 14 points, or 0.1 percent, to 18,547 as of 10:17 a.m. Eastern time. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index shed one point, or 0.1 percent, to 2,180. The Nasdaq composite index lost seven points, or 0.2 percent, to 5,217. The Nasdaq was coming off a record high close on Tuesday.