Stock Market Stalls; Indexes Hold Near Record Highs<br />COMMODITIES: Benchmark U. S. crude lost 12 cents to $50.30 per barrel, while Brent crude,<br />the standard for international oil prices, fell 12 cents to $55.88 per barrel<br />OUT OF OFFICE: Office Depot plunged after it said it wants to broaden its business beyond traditional office products<br />and announced a $1 billion purchase of CompuCom Systems, an IT services and products provider.<br />The Dow Jones industrial average rose 14 points, or 0.1 percent, to 22,655,<br />and the Nasdaq composite slipped nearly 6 points, or 0.1 percent, to 6,525.<br />FED WATCH: Speculation is rising about who the next chair of the Federal Reserve will be, after Janet Yellen’s term ends in February.<br />KEEPING SCORE: The Standard & Poor’s 500 index slipped by a quarter of a point, or less than 0.1 percent, to 2,534, as of 10:05 a.m. Eastern time.<br />JOB WATCH: A report from payroll processor ADP said<br />that hiring by private employers weakened sharply last month, a setback for an economy that had been enjoying a generally strengthening job market.
