U.S. markets mixed Wednesday

U.S. markets were mixed Wednesday after Eurostat said the eurozone's gross domestic product shrank in the fourth quarter of 2011. The gross domestic product for the eurozone as a region -- countries that use the euro as currency -- fell for the first time since the April through June stretch in 2009, when the eurozone economy shrank by 0.2 percent. Compared to the third quarter of 2011, the eurozone's GDP fell by 0.3 percent. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2010, the GDP rose by 0.7 percent, Eurostat said. In early afternoon trading, the Dow Jones industrial average shed 80.19 points, or 0.62 percent, to 12,798.09. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 2.67 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,347.83. The Nasdaq composite index was up 1.41 points, or 0.05 percent, to 2,933.24. The benchmark 10-year treasury note rose 7/32 to yield 1.915 percent. The euro fell to $1.3069 from Tuesday's $1.3131. Against the yen, the dollar fell to 78.31 yen from Tuesday's 78.44 yen. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index rose 2.3 percent, 208.27 points, to 9,260.34. In London, the FTSE 100 index lost 0.13 percent, 7.71, to 5,892.16.