Global indicators for stocks were mixed Friday as prices for gold and oil dropped and a government report showed that U.S. personal spending slowed to a crawl in February.

Personal consumption increased by 0.1% compared to the month before, the U.S. Commerce Department said Friday. It was the third consecutive month of weak consumer demand.

The report showed personal income increased at a seasonally adjusted rate of 0.5% compared to the month before. Income rose an unrevised 0.3% during January.

Economists had forecast a 0.3% increase in personal income during February and a 0.1% drop in personal comsumption.

There are no major economic releases from Statistics Canada today.

The Canadian dollar edged up 0.19 of cent to US98.38.

In today’s earnings news, U.S. retailer J.C. Penney C. warned that its first-quarter profit will come in at about 50¢ a share, compared to previous guidance of 75¢ to 80ç cents a share. Citing weaker-than-expected sales through the Easter holiday, the retailer also forecast a low-double-digit decline in same-store sales for March and a high-single-digit decline for the first quarter.

Oil slipped 88¢ to US$106.70 per barrel and gold declined US$2.80 to US$951.20 an ounce.

Asian stock markets closed higher. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong gained 2.7% on the day to 23,285.95. In Tokyo, the Nikkei index closed up 1.7% at 12,820.47.

European bourses were flat, with the FTSE 100 up 4.8 points to 5,722.3 near midday in London.

Falling gold prices weighed on Toronto stocks on Thursday, but base metal and financial issues tempered losses.

The S&P/TSX Composite index closed up 13.92 points, or 0.10%, at 13,405.78.

Shares in BCE Inc. gained $1.22, or 3.42%, to close at $36.94, as the CRTC approved the takeover of the firm by a consortium led by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, although with a few conditions.

The junior S&P/TSX Venture composite index closed down 6.45 points, or 0.26%, at 2,521.09.

In New York, the financials sector tumbled after Oppenheimer analyst Meredith Whitney cut earnings forecasts for both Merrill Lynch and UBS.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 120.40 points, or 0.97%, to end at 12,302.46. The S&P 500 shed 15.37 points, or 1.15%, to close at 1,325.76.

As well, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index lost 43.53 points, or 1.87%, at 2,280.83.