US stocks have ended mixed after poor economic data in the US, Europe and China pushed markets to losses in early trade.

Healthcare and utility stocks fared well while transportation was a significant loser, the sector falling by 2.6 per cent.

At the closing bell on Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 19.20 points, or 0.14 per cent, to 13,597.16.

The S&P 500 lost 0.78 point, or 0.05 per cent, at 1,460.27.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 6.66 points, or 0.21 per cent, to 3,175.96.

JC Penney plunged 11.2 per cent after the struggling retailer’s chief executive gave a warning that sales might continue to be weak for the rest of the year.

Simon Property, the owners of hundreds of malls around the country, fell 3.0 per cent after missing forecasts despite a solid quarterly earnings report.