NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stock indexes lowered Friday gains, briefly bringing the S&P 500 index back under 1,500, after the U.S. Department of Commerce reported sales of new homes fell 7.3% in December. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was lately up 38.62 points, or 0.3%, at 13,863.65. The S&P climbed 5.24 points, or 0.4%, to 1,500.06. The Nasdaq Composite rose 17.36 points, or 0.6%, to 3,147.74.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.