U.S. stocks waver on economic data

U.S. stocks traded in a narrow range on Friday, as investors were assessing a batch of economic data that could give a hint of when the Federal Reserve would raise interest rate.

At midday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 41.39 points, or 0.24 percent, to 17,449.64. The S&P 500 was up 3.04 points, or 0.07 percent, to 2,086.43. The Nasdaq Composite Index edged down 5. 04 points, or 0.10 percent, to 5,028.52.

The Producer Price Index for final demand advanced 0.2 percent in July, seasonally adjusted, beating market expectations, the U.S. Labor Department said Friday. Final demand prices rose 0.4 percent in June and 0.5 percent in May.

Meanwhile, industrial production increased 0.6 percent in July after moving up 0.1 percent in June, the Fed said Friday.

The preliminary reading of Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index came in at 92.9 for August, below the estimation.

Analysts shifted their attention backed to the timing of interest rate hike after the release of economic data.

Earnings continue to remain in focus. With 92 percent of the S& P 500 companies having reported, second-quarter earnings are estimated to have increased 1.2 percent while revenues are projected to have fallen 3.5 percent, according to Thomson Reuters ' data Friday.

U.S. stocks finished mixed after wavering around flat line in a narrow range Thursday, as Wall Street tried to digest a slew of economic data. Endite