NEW YORK, June 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks traded mixed on Friday, as investors digested a weaker Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) this month, indicating a slowdown in business activity in the United States.

At midday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 66.99 points, or 0.25 percent, to 26,820.16. The S&P 500 was up 0.93 point, or 0.03 percent, to 2,955.11. The Nasdaq Composite Index decreased 10.07 points, or 0.13 percent, to 8,041.27.

Shares of Caterpillar rose nearly 0.5 percent, erasing losses in morning sessions, after U.S. equity brokerage firm Atlantic Equities downgraded the U.S. manufacturing giant to "underweight" from "neutral," due to a weakening growth outlook.

Seven of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors traded lower around midday, with the real estate sector down around 1.2 percent, leading the losers.

On the economic front, the seasonally adjusted IHS Markit Flash U.S. Composite PMI Output Index dropped to 50.6 in June from 50.9 in May, according to British information provider IHS Markit.

The reading marks the weakest expansion of business activity for over three years, as the country's private sector output growth has been on the decline since February, due to "less favorable domestic economic conditions" and "a tendency for greater risk aversion." Enditem

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