Stocks slipped yesterday while technology shares held small gains, as Wall Street worried over the market's high valuation after a powerful run-up on hopes the economy will pull out of recession next year.

The Dow Jones industrials average was off 15.15 points, or 0.15 per cent, to end at 10,099.14, according to latest data, while the Nasdaq edged up 7.43 points, or 0.36 per cent, to 2,054.27. The Standard & Poor's 500 index dropped 3.25 points, or 0.28 per cent, at 1,167.10.

Investors fielded a mixed batch of economic data. Orders for manufactured goods notched an unexpectedly sharp gain in October. But workers' productivity grew in the third quarter at a slower-than-expected pace as companies slashed labour costs.

Technology stocks flatlined much of the day ahead of a mid-quarter update from chip leader Intel Corp due after the close. JP Morgan Chase & Co boosted brokerages, but retailers pressured the market after some stores delivered lacklustre sales and oil stocks slipped on weaker crude oil prices.