US stocks flat on cloud of worries

NEW YORK - US STOCKS closed flat on Tuesday, with sentiment dampened by data showing slower growth in the crucial services sector, rising oil prices, an interest rate hike in China and moves by the Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 6.13 points (0.05 per cent) to 12,393.90, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite rose 2.00 points (0.07 per cent) to 2,791.19.