Market romance: A Valentine's Day rally
The Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq were little changed in early trading.
Despite the sluggish start to the day, stocks have been on a tear in February. The S&P 500 has gained more than 3% this week and is now within 1% of an all-time high.
But gold has also gained momentum. The precious metal rose above $1,320 in the futures market. Gold is up nearly 4% this week.
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Investors welcomed Congressional testimony on Tuesday from new Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen, who stressed the need to maintain the policies of her predecessor, Ben Bernanke. The Fed has been scaling back its bond buying this year, but U.S. monetary policy remains highly favorable for stocks.
Meanwhile, the latest economic news has been mixed. A lackluster report on January retail sales Thursday added to concerns that a colder-than-normal winter is putting a damper on the economy.
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In corporate news, Jos. A. Bank shares fell after the clothing retailer announced that it was acquiring Eddie Bauer for $825 million. Shares of rival menswear company and would-be suitor, Men's Wearhouse , were lower too.
Shares of Campbell Soup rose after the company reported better-than-expected earnings. Hyatt Hotels also reported earnings that topped expectations, sending shares higher in early trading.
Kraft Foods shares were higher following quarterly results that beat expectations.
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European markets were firmer in morning trading, thanks to slightly stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter growth figures. Eurozone GDP rose by 0.5% compared to the year-ago quarter, in its first sign of annual growth since 2011. Asian markets ended mixed. 
First Published: February 14, 2014: 9:52 AM ET
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