Markets Mixed As Retail Sales Rise Less Than Expected

Retail sales rose modestly last month but the uptick was less than expected. The markets traded near the flatline during the midday with the Dow rising 6 points to 10,326 while Nasdaq lost 7 points to 2183.

On the upside

A district court granted Premier Exhibitions (Nasdaq: PRXI) 100% of the fair market value of all aritifacts salvaged from the Titanic, valued at approximately $100 million.

Bally Technologies (NYSE: BYI) reported sharply higher fourth quarter earnings.

Blackstone Group's (NYSE: BX) acquisition of Dynegy (NYSE: DYN) lifted shares of Calpine (NYSE: CPN), Mirant (NYSE: MIR) and RRI Energy (NYSE: RRI).

On the downside

Research in Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM) will provide the Indian government with access to encrypted data that officials view as security threats.

Concerns that obesity drugs do not lower the risk of heart attacks or strokes weighed down shares of Arena Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: ARNA), whose Iorcaserin is awaiting regulatory approval.

As part of The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company's (NYSE: GAP) turnaround plan, the company will close 25 stores in five states.slim margin on the NYSE and by 5 to 6 on Nasdaq. The Russell 2000 which tracks small cap stocks slipped 3 points to 613.