New York, June 2 (BNA): Stocks made a mixed start on Wall Street Thursday as weakness in technology companies offset gains elsewhere in the market.
Microsoft weighed the tech sector with a 3% loss after cutting its financial forecast for the current quarter, citing unfavorable changes in exchange rates.
The S&P 500 was down 0.2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq fell by similar amounts, while small-cap stocks rose, according to the Associated Press.
Crude oil prices rose slightly as OPEC and allied countries including Russia considered changes in production levels with gas prices rising to another record high in the United States.
Wall Street pointed to gains in pre-market trading and oil prices fell ahead of the OPEC meeting in which oil-producing countries will decide how much crude to produce as gasoline prices hit record levels in the United States on Thursday.
S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 0.5% after mixed trading in global markets.
US gasoline prices hit another record high Thursday, with an average pump price of $4.71 a gallon, according to the AAA Auto Club.
High oil and gas prices have contributed to the inflation that has plagued the United States and Europe and drained the purchasing power of consumers.
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