US stocks little changed as Russia sanctions West

US stocks on Wednesday finished little changed after Russia imposed fresh sanctions against the West and after a pair of potential corporate mergers fizzled. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 12.14 points (0.07 per cent) to 16,441.61. The broad-based S&P 500 slipped 0.10 (0.01 per cent) to 1,920.11, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index rose 2.22 (0.05 per cent) to 4,355.05. Russian President Vladimir Putin slapped one-year bans and limits on food and agricultural imports from nations that have imposed sanctions on Russia over its defiant stance on Ukraine. Meanwhile, Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox withdrew a bid estimated at $80 billion to acquire Time Warner. US wireless carrier Sprint abandoned a $32 billion campaign to acquire T-Mobile because of regulatory concerns, the Wall Street Journal reported, according to AFP.