Apple hits new highs as US markets end mixed

Apple shares hit new record highs Monday after winning a patent lawsuit against Samsung but overall stocks traded mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down 33.30 points (0.25 percent) at 13,124.67. The broad-based S&P 500 slipped 0.69 (0.05 percent) to 1,410.44, while Apple's boost helped the tech-rich Nasdaq to a gain, adding 3.40 (0.11 percent) to 3,073.19. The markets were firm "aided by a favorable patent ruling for Apple Inc and some M&A news," Charles Schwab & Co. analysts said. Apple shares scored new record highs, reaching $682.07 before ending at $675.48, up 1.9 percent. The California gadget maker was awarded $1.05 billion in damages for patent infringement in a US court victory over Samsung on Friday, in one of the biggest patent cases in decade. Google, whose Android system is used on Samsung smartphones, fell 1.4 percent.