Stocks are jumbled as consumer companies rise, energy falls

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are wobbling Monday morning as retailers and makers of household goods inch higher. Energy companies are falling with the price of oil. Hotel chains Starwood and Marriott are rising again as Marriott and Chinese insurance company Anbang Insurance Group continue to try to buy Starwood.

The Dow Jones industrial average added 18 points, or 0.1 percent, to 17,533 as of 10:15 a.m. Eastern time. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index was little changed at 2,036. The Nasdaq composite index lost three points to 4,770.

The bidding for the Starwood Hotel chain continued as a group of investors led by China’s Anbang Insurance Group offered to buy the company for $88.66 a share, or more than $15 billion. Starwood said the offer looks better than the latest bid from rival Marriott. Starwood added $2.08, or 2.5 percent, to $84.21 and Marriott gained $2.82, or 4.1 percent, to $71.46.

Pandora is skidding after the streaming music company announced a management shakeup. Co-founder Tim Westergren will replace Brian McAndrews as CEO. The stock tumbled $1.01, or 9.2 percent, to $9.92.