NEW YORK (Reuters) – Stocks were little changed at the open on Thursday as weak results from Wal-Mart and a rise in initial jobless claims gave investors little reason to buy after declines in the prior two sessions.

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI dropped 13.22 points, or 0.11 percent, to 12,557.73. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index .SPX shed 0.53 point, or 0.04 percent, to 1,354.96. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC gained 0.55 point, or 0.02 percent, to 2,847.36.

(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Kenneth Barry)