Stocks close mostly lower, except for Dow

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are closing mostly lower on Wall Street, but the Dow Jones industrial average of 30 blue-chip stocks still managed to post its eighth gain in a row and close at another record high.

Solid gains in 3M and UnitedHealth Group Thursday sent the Dow up 9 points, less than 0.1 percent, to 22,026.

Most other indexes closed lower, led by declines in energy and technology companies and banks.

Apple gave back 1 percent, a day after a big gain that pushed the Dow over 22,000 points for the first time.

Avon plunged 10.7 percent after reporting a surprise loss and saying its CEO would leave.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index slipped 5 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,472. The Nasdaq fell 22 points, or 0.4 percent, to 6,340.