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* Core U.S. retail sales rise 0.5 percent in April
* Yum Brands falls as monthly Chinese sales drop
* Crude oil falls, pressuring energy companies
* Indexes: Dow down 0.2 pct, S&P up 0.1 pct, Nasdaq up 0.3pct
By Ryan Vlastelica
NEW YORK, May 13 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were mostly flat onMonday as investors paused following a rally that took indexesto record highs, though a strong read on retail sales limiteddeclines and the Nasdaq ticked up on a rally in Netflix.
The S&P 500 has jumped more than 14 percent so far thisyear, a rally that has repeatedly taken it to record intradayand closing highs without sustained declines. While thelong-term trend is still viewed as positive, many analysts saidthe momentum could wane in the absence of positive catalysts.
Retail sales rose 0.1 percent in April, better than the 0.3percent drop that had been expected, and returning to growthfollowing a decline in March.
Excluding autos, gasoline and building materials, core salesrose 0.5 percent. Retail sales account for about 30 percent ofU.S. consumer spending.
"Recent data has been weak, so to see some sturdiness isimportant and needed in order for us to move materially higher,"said Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at JanneyMontgomery Scott in Philadelphia. "But given the strength we'vehad over the past few weeks, it isn't surprising that trading isa bit indifferent today."
The S&P 500 managed its third straight weekly gainlast week, reaching a record high on Friday. The benchmark had a five-day streak of record closing highs before settling loweron Thursday.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 24.04points, or 0.16 percent, at 15,094.45. The Standard & Poor's 500Index was up 1.41 points, or 0.09 percent, at 1,635.11.The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 8.40 points, or 0.24percent, at 3,444.99.
Netflix Inc jumped 4.2 percent to $226.81 as one ofthe biggest advancing stocks in the S&P 500, helping to keep theNasdaq in slightly positive territory.
Other data showed business inventories were unchanged inMarch for a second straight month versus expectations of 0.3percent rise, suggesting restocking could help second-quartereconomic growth.
Crude oil fell 0.7 percent to $95.39 per barrel,pressured by a drop to an eight-month low in demand in China.
Luschini, who helps oversee $58 billion in assets, said thedrop in oil and gasoline prices contributed to the strong readon retail sales, "so it is helpful to see those remain tame.
"However, if we dip below $90 a barrel, that will hurt theenergy sector and could be a signal of lower global growth."
Consol Energy fell 2 percent to $34.14 whileNational Oilwell Varco was off 1.4 percent at $67.27.
Yum Brands Inc fell 2.6 percent to $68.54. After themarket closed on Friday, the fast food chain operator posted asteep decline in Chinese April sales.
With 90 percent of the S&P 500 having reported, 67.2 percentof companies have topped earnings expectations, according toThomson Reuters data, an amount that is even with the averageover the past four quarters. Only 46.9 percent have beatenrevenue expectations, under the 52 percent average over the pastfour quarters.
Elan agreed to a $1 billion deal to buy 21percent of the royalties that U.S. company Theravance receives from GlaxoSmithKline for itsrespiratory drugs. Theravance shares jumped 15 percent to$40.33.
U.S.-listed shares of Perion Network surged 12percent to $14.10 after the Israeli consumer Internet companyposted first-quarter earnings.
SoftBank Corp has told banks that their financingof Dish Network Corp's $25.5 billion rival offer forSprint Nextel Corp could hurt their chances of landing arole in a highly anticipated public offering of Chinesee-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, two sources familiarwith the situation said.
Sprint shares dipped 1.6 percent to $7.24 while Dish lost1.7 percent to $38.51.
