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NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks slipped on Friday, pushing the market to a weekly loss, as investors assessed the latest round of company earnings. Express Scripts, the largest U.S. pharmacy ben- efits manager, fell after its fourth-quarter earnings slipped, hurt by the loss of UnitedHealth, a large cus- tomer. Groupon plunged after the online deals com- pany said it expects to post a loss this quarter and issued a weak outlook for the year. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose in early trading Friday and had almost wiped out its loss for the year by late morn- ing, climbing to within two points of it record close. By late afternoon the index started to turn lower. The stock market has gained this month after getting a boost from decent corporate earnings for the fourth quarter and opti- mism that the economy will start to pull out of its winter slump as the weath- er improves. While investors have been willing to overlook much of the weak econom- ic data this month, they appear reluctant to push the stock market back above its recent highs before they see firmer evi- dence that the economy is sustaining its recovery. Investors are ''giving the economic data points a bit of a free pass, but at the same time they're not fully convinced either,'' said Robert Pavlik, chief mar- ket strategist at Banyan Partners, a wealth manage- ment firm. The S&P 500 index fell 3.53 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,836.25. The index lost 2.38 points for the week and is now 12 points below its record close of 1,848.38, set Jan. 15. The Dow Jones indus- trial average fell 29.93 points, or 0.2 percent, to 16,103.30. The Nasdaq composite dropped 4.13 points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,263.41. Among individual stocks, Express Scripts fell $3.11, or 4 percent, to $74.01 after it reported its results. Groupon plunged $2.25, or 21.9 percent, to $8.03 after the online deals company said it was ramp- ing up its marketing cam- paign and forecast 2014 pre-tax earnings to be only slightly higher than last year. Stock investors have had a bumpy ride so far this year. The S&P 500 was down almost 6 percent for the year at the start of Febru- ary amid concerns about slowing growth in China and other emerging mar- kets, as well as worries about the state of the U.S. economy. Since then stocks have rebounded, but some investors aren't con- vinced the recovery will last. ''I've felt all along that this is going to be a very volatile year,'' said Uri Landesman, president of Platinum Partners, an investment management company. ''For me, you've got a lot more downside than upside.'' The S&P 500 rose almost 30 percent last year, and investors are now too bullish on the stock mar- ket, making it vulnerable to a sell-off, Landesman said. Ameren, a utility com- pany based in St. Louis, Mo., was among the win- ners on Friday. The stock rose $2.07, or 5.3 percent, to $40.88, making it the biggest gain- er in the S&P 500. Ameren reported earnings that beat Wall Street's expectations after cold weather boosted demand for gas and elec- tricity. Daily News – Saturday, February 22, 2014 10A www.redbluff.mercy.org /veincare Get a Leg up on Your Health With the St. Elizabeth Center for Vein Care. Call anytime 888-628-1948 for a referral for varicose vein treatment options redbluff.mercy.org/veincare 530 566 1966 Ask about cushy country boarding Free 10 minute phone chat. You decide to pay. 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