Stocks end mixed; Oil slide hits energy shares

NEW YORK — Stocks ended mixed as investors sort through conflicting signs about the direction the economy is taking.

More stocks fell than rose Monday, but major indexes are finishing well off the lows of the day.

Falling oil prices have touched off worries about how quickly the economy can recover. That hurt commodity stocks and drove investors into safe havens like consumer products makers.

The Dow Jones industrial average is up 44 at 8,325. The S&P 500 index is up 2 at 899. The Nasdaq composite index is down 9 at 1,787.

Three stocks fell for every two that rose on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 1.1 billion shares.