US mkts end with moderate gain; Dow up 41 points

US markets ended the day nearly unchanged following a late-day sell-off. Weakness in techs, retail and housing prompted traders to lock in some profits.

Crude trading above record $ 127 per barrel, lifted shares of Exxon Mobil Corp nearly 2%. Higher oil prices also boosted coal companies, which analysts said stand to benefit from businesses looking for cheaper, alternative fuels.

Financials were mostly weaker after Citigroup analysts again slashed their outlooks for Wall Street investment firms including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Lehman Brothers.

Home-improvement retailers skidded after Lowe's beat earnings expectations but issued a cautious outlook for the rest of the year. Shares dropped 2.6%.

The Dow gained 41.36 points, or 0.32%, to 13,028.16. The S&P 500 rose 1.28 points, or 0.09%, to 1,426.63, and Nasdaq composite index was down 12.76 points, or 0.50%, to 2,516.09.

A look at how the Indian ADRs performed: