US stocks mixed as investors await Greek deal

US stocks traded mixed on Friday as investors cautiously awaited a final Greek debt deal .

Optimism rose as eurozone central banks agreed to swap their existing Greek bonds for new ones, Xinhua reported.

Also, it is widely expected that the country would receive the second bailout fund next week, when European finance ministers meet on Monday to discuss the latest economic reform proposal.

Their approval is needed in order for Greece to receive the billion-euro bailout to avert a chaotic default when 14.5 billion euros in debt repayments are due March 20.

Meanwhile, the US Labor Department reported that consumer prices climbed 0.2 per cent in January, boosted by rising gasoline prices, but still lower than market estimates.

The Conference Board's Leading Economic Indicators index ticked up 0.4 per cent in January, a bit weaker than analysts had expected.

In midday trading, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 19. 00 points, or 0.15 per cent, at 12,923.08. The Standard & Poor's 500 edged up 0.07 points, or 0.01 per cent, to 1,358.11. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 13.30 points, or 0.45 per cent, to 2,946.55.