US stocks close flat

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during afternoon trading on November 19, 2012 in New York City. AFP FILE PHOTO

NEW YORK—US stocks closed near breakeven Tuesday, clawing back from losses after Hewlett-Packard reported a huge charge for an acquisition, offsetting fresh data signaling recovery in the housing market.

After a triple-digit gain Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 5.83 points (0.05 percent) at 12,790.13 in closing trade.

The S&P 500-stock index ticked up 1.01 (0.07 percent) to 1,387.90, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite added 0.83 (0.03 percent) at 2,916.90.