US mkts end mixed; Dow slips 12 pts

It was a volatile session for the US markets. Banks fell to their lowest level in eight years on Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's warning that inflation is still a concern. Financials tumbled on rumors that Moody's May Put bond insurers AMBAC and MBIA on review for a possible credit rating downgrade.

The session's three economic reports were not especially strong, but they were all better than expected. Crude prices meanwhile slipped to 122 dollar mark on larger than expected supplies.

The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 12.37 points, or 0.10%, to 12,390.48. The Standard & Poor's 500 index was down 0.45 points, or 0.03%, to 1,377.20, while the Nasdaq advanced 22.66 points, or 0.91%, to 2,503.14.