Closing Bell: Sears Announces Store Closures; U.S. Stocks Mixed

U.S. stocks ended the week mixed as earnings dragged markets in opposite directions. The Nasdaq ended sharply lower, plunging further into the red for the year, on disappointing earnings from Microsoft (MSFT) - Get Report and Alphabet (GOOGL) - Get Report . Sears Holdings (SHLD) rose after announcing plans to close 68 K-Mart stores and 10 Sears locations in late July. Management said these 'aggressive actions' will help restore the retailer to profitability. Volkswagen (VLKAY) slipped after taking a charge of more than 16 billion euros tied to an emissions-cheating investigation. The billion-dollar charge forced the automaker to revise its 2015 profit to a net loss and slash its dividend.