Stocks slipped on Thursday as soft retail sales and a sharp rise in the dollar left investors edgy a day ahead of December's employment report.

* The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> slipped 25.58 points, or 0.22 percent, to 11,697.31, according to the latest available data. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was off 2.71 points, or 0.21 percent, to 1,273.85. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> added 7.69 points, or 0.28 percent, to 2,709.89.

(Reporting by Leah Schnurr; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

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