U.S. stocks flat, as 2Q GDP data fails to offset disappointing earnings

Investing.com - Investing.com -- U.S. stocks were mixed on Thursday as GDP data for the second quarter supported the Federal Reserve's claims of an improving economy, while disappointing earnings among several prominent companies weighed on all three major indices.
The NASDAQ Composite index and the S&P 500 Composite index inched up to post moderate gains, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell slightly back to halt a two-day winning streak. The Dow fell 5.41 or 0.03% to 17,745.98, to remain near negative territory for the month with one session remaining. The NASDAQ, meanwhile, added 17.06 or 0.33% to 5,128.79, in spite of significant losses from Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) and Whole Foods Market Inc (NASDAQ:WFM).
Procter and Gamble, Facebook and Whole Foods Market all reported subpar earnings for the second quarter on Thursday. Procter and Gamble, the world's largest multinational consumer goods company, fell more than 3.8% after reporting decelerated sales growth during the previous quarter. Facebook shares plunged more than 5% on Thursday before the social networking site pared some of the losses in the afternoon session, amid weak advertising growth over the last three months.
The S&P 500 experienced one of its flattest days of the year on Thursday, gaining 0.06 points to 2,108.63. During Thursday's session, seven of 10 sectors closed in the green, as stocks in the Utilities and Telecommunications industries led.
The U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) in a quarterly release on Thursday morning reported that U.S. GDP for the second quarter increased by 2.3%. The reading fell below high end of consensus estimates of a 3.5% increase, but was above the low end of forecasts for a gain of 1.9%. The BEA also upwardly revised first quarter GDP to a 0.6% increase from a prior reading of negative 0.2%.
It came one day after the Federal Open Market Committee observed signs of an improving U.S. labor market and economy in its July monetary policy statement.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) ended Thursday as the top performer on the Dow for the second consecutive session, one day after its successful launch of its Microsoft 10 operating system. Shares in Microsoft rose 0.70 or 1.51% to 46.99. Procter and Gamble finished as the worst performer, dropping 3.14 points to 77.48.
The biggest gainer on the NASDAQ was Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC), which surged 7.76 or 9.85% to 86.51. On Wednesday, the California-based hard disk drive manufacturer reported strong fourth-quarter earnings, amid a stabilization in PC demand over the last several months. Whole Foods finished as the worst performer, after losing 4.76 or 11.66% to 36.06.
Western Digital finished as the top performer on the S&P 500, just above Wynn Resorts Limited (NASDAQ:WYNN) which jumped more than 8% to 104.12. Whole Foods also finished as the S&P's worst performer, just below Ensco which plummeted 7.7% to 16.61.
On the New York Stock Exchange, advancing issues slightly outnumbered declining ones by a 1,588 to 1,551 margin.