U.S. stock indexes tally robust February gains

NEW YORK (MarketWatch)
U.S. stocks tallied modest losses on Wednesday in closing the books on robust February gains, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising for a fifth straight month
 "A combination of good economic news and stimulus is all contributing to a good market," said Mark Martiak, senior wealth strategist at Premier Financial Advisors in New York
"Europe is moving in the right direction too, although a lot of what is going on in the sovereign-debt crisis is already priced into the market," he added
 Up 2.5% for February and 6% year-to-date, the Dow shed 53.05 points, or 0.4%, to close at 12,952.07
The blue-chip index on Tuesday closed above 13,000 for the first time since May 2008
The S&P 500 Index declined 6.5 points, or 0.5%, to 1,365.68, a February rise of 4.1% and its third consecutive monthly gain, leaving it 8.6% higher from the end of 2011
The Nasdaq Composite Index declined 19.87 points, or 0.7%, to 2,966.89
 The technology-laden Nasdaq rose 5.4% in February, its second straight monthly advance, which has it nearly 14% higher for 2012 so far.