Dow drops on Merck; S&P 500, Nasdaq flat : US Business

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Dow Jones industrial average fell on Monday, dragged lower by a drop in shares of Merck & Co after a panel recommended patients try cheaper cholesterol drugs.

The S&P 500 index was little changed as higher oil prices lifted energy shares such as Exxon Mobil Corp , offsetting a drop in health-care stocks. Technology shares also eked out slim gains, led by Apple Inc .

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> fell 26.70 points, or 0.22 percent, to 12,189.70. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> slipped 2.01 points, or 0.15 percent, to 1,313.21. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> edged up 1.40 points, or 0.06 percent, to 2,262.58.

(Reporting by Ellis Mnyandu; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

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