Stocks were little changed on Wednesday as Wall Street sought to halt its longest losing spell in almost three years and data showed a stronger-than-expected labor market as well as a slowdown in the services sector.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 1.21 points, or 0.01 percent, to 11,867.83. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 0.67 points, or 0.05 percent, to 1,254.72. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 5.92 points, or 0.22 percent, to 2,675.16.

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