(Updates to 4 pm)

NEW YORK, Sept 3 (Reuters) - The S&P 500 and Nasdaq stock indexes fell on Wednesday as signs of increasingly sluggish growth in the United States and the rest of the world rattled investors already unsettled about the outlook for consumer spending and corporate profits.

The Dow eked out a gain, however, helped by shares of Home Depot Inc <HD.N> after the home improvement retailers' chief executive said the decline in the battered U.S. housing market may be nearing an end, sending its shares up 4.5 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 17.51 points, or 0.15 percent, at 11,534.43 and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> fell 2.47 points, or 0.19 percent, at 1,275.11. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 15.51 points, or 0.66 percent, at 2,333.73. (Editing by James Dalgleish) (([email protected]; +1 646 223 6343; Reuters Messaging:rm://[email protected])) ((Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for: * 3000 Xtra: visit http://topnews.session.rservices.com * BridgeStation: view story .134 For more information on Top News: http://topnews.reuters.com))

Keywords: MARKETS STOCKS

 
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 U.S. Equities speed guide........................<US/EQUITY> 
 S&P 500 index ........................................<.SPX> 
 Dow Jones industrial average..........................<.DJI> 
 Nasdaq Composite index...............................<.IXIC> 
 Nasdaq 100............................................<.NDX> 
 Russell 2000 small cap................................<.RUT> 
 S&P major sectors..............................<0#.GSPMAJOR> 
 NYSE most active.....................................<.AV.N> 
 Nasdaq most active...................................<.AV.O> 
 Top NYSE pct gainers.................................<.PG.N> 
 Top NYSE pct losers..................................<.PL.N> 
 Top Nasdaq pct gainers...............................<.PG.O> 
 Top Nasdaq pct losers................................<.PL.O> 
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    NYSE...............<t.YH.N>  Nasdaq..............<t.YH.O> 
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    NYSE...............<t.YL.N>  Nasdaq..............<t.YL.O> 
    Main global stock indexes and market reports: 
 FTSE Eurotop 300 .....<.FTEU3>  European report .......[.EU] 
 Nikkei 225.............<.N225>  Tokyo report............[.T] 
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 Xetra DAX.............<.GDAXI>  Frankfurt market stories[.F] 
 CAC-40.................<.FCHI>  Paris market stories...[.PA] 
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