Stock indexes lower over pending reports

Stocks closed with slight losses yesterday after falling in the last half-hour of trading. Major indexes had been up for most of the day after several economic reports suggested that the recovery is continuing.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 22.71 points, or 0.2 percent, to 12,197.88. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 3.61, or 0.3 percent, to 1,310.19. The Nasdaq composite fell 12.38, or 0.5 percent, to 2,730.68. Each index had been up more than 0.4 percent earlier in the day.

Three stocks fell for every two that gained on the New York Stock Exchange.

This is a data-heavy week on Wall Street. A crucial jobs report and manufacturing surveys will be released over the next four days. -- AP