Noting companies will struggle to beat earnings expectations for the last quarter of 2012, Barclay’s said in a report, “We suspect earnings season will be a negative for the market overall.” As investors prepare for the corporate returns, CNNMoney reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average nudged down -0.38 percent, -50.92 points, to end the day at 13,384.29. The Nasdaq fell -0.09 percent, -2.85 points, to close at 3,098. 81, while the S&P lost -0.31 percent, -4.58 points, to close at 1,461.89. The Yahoo! Finance Manufactured Housing Composite slipped -1.11 percent to close at 1251.7. Housing stocks we track closed mixed or even. Cavco Industries gained the most of stocks we track, moving up +0.85 percent, +0.42, to end the day at 49.93. Deer Valley lost the most of tracked stocks, falling -7.69%, -0.05 to 0.60. Affiliated Managers Group 137.30 +0.20 (+0.15%). Clayton Homes, Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, as well as MH home-building, lending and other housing suppliers parent company Berkshire Hathaway 140,190 -613. (-0.44). Champion, Liberty Homes, and Palm Harbor continued unchanged. Drew Industries 33.34 -0.34 (-1.01%). Equity LifeStyle Properties 69.55 +0.47 (+0.68%). Louisiana Pacific Industries 20.31 -0.14 (-0.68%). Nobility Homes 4.75 -0.15 (-3.06%). Patrick Industries 16.34 -0.26 (-1.63%). Skyline Corp. 4.40 -0.02 (-0.45%). Sun Communities, Inc. 40.60. -0.31 (-0.76%). Third Avenue Value Fund (Jan. 4) 51.03 +0.36 (+0.69%). Universal Forest Products, Inc. 40.13 -0.73 (-1.79%). UMH 10.77 +0.01 (+0.09%).
