Blame Apple as S&P 500 Slips, Nasdaq Slumps, Dow Rises

Stocks ended the day mixed as Apple's ( AAPL ) decline had a greater impact on some benchmarks than others. The S&P 500 declined 0.2% to 2,139.43 today, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 30.06 points, or 0.2%, to 18,199.33. The Nasdaq Composite declined 0.6% to 5,250.27. Apple dropped 2.2% to $115.59 after its fourth-quarter sales fell short of analyst expectations . Earlier this morning, I noted that there was more going on this morning than just Apple's drop . But that was then. As the benchmark returns show, the market ended mixed, with Apple the explaining factor: The less important the better. Apple is the largest holding in the Nasdaq Composite with a 7.4% weight, and in the S&P 500, with a 3.4% weight. Apple is only the seventh largest holding in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, with a 4.4% weight. Wells Fargo's Scott Wren reminds investors that earnings are a lagging indicator: