BlackBerry rises but US indices stay flat US stocks opened the week slightly lower, but BlackBerry shares rallied on news that the company is considering a series of moves including joint ventures and a possible sale of the handset maker. BlackBerry shares rose 4.4 per cent to $10.19, and are now up 22.9 per cent in the past 12 months. The company that once pioneered the business cellphone market fell behind competitors such as Apple and Samsung. Revenue has fallen sharply, as have subscribers. The company pegged its hopes on its new BlackBerry 10 operating system and handsets, which were not well received. The prospect of new handsets sent Apple shares higher, up 2.3 per cent to $464.75. The company will reportedly host an event on September 10, at which analysts believe a new iPhone will be announced. Apple also scored a victory recently over Samsung in the ongoing patent battles between the two companies. News broke on Friday that the International Trade Commission issued an import ban on handsets that violate two of Apple's patents, but sided with Samsung on a broader patent related to rectangular smartphones with rounded corners. Shares in Apple have fallen more than 25 per cent in the past 12 months, as the once dominant iPhone and iPad have lost ground to Samsung and Google's Android devices. Apple's rise helped the Nasdaq lead the major indices, up 0.3 per cent to 3,669.75. The S&P 500 was down fractionally at 1,690.38, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was nearly unchanged at 15,425.59. Caterpillar shares rose 1.6 per cent to $85.85 to lead the Dow, as positive news on excavator sales in China helped bolster the case for a recovery in the country's construction market. Newmont Mining led the S&P 500, up 5 per cent to $31.98. The company's rise was helped by a 2.1 per cent rise in the price of gold, which the company mines. However, Newmont remains 33.3 per cent lower on the year to date, with spot gold down about 20 per cent in the same period. Materials companies have endured a difficult 2013, as falling commodity prices squeeze revenues. But recovering ore prices have bolstered some companies, such as Cliffs Natural Resources, which rose 2.5 per cent to $24.96. Shares in the iron ore miner are up almost 50 per cent in the past month, and short positions in the company are down from July peaks. On the other end of the benchmark index, Sysco was the worst performer in morning trading, off 4.3 per cent to $33.52. The food product distributor reported earnings per share that missed analyst estimates despite beating revenue expectations. The company pointed to tighter margins and restructuring costs as reasons for the disappointing results. Analyst downgrades hit Tesla and JC Penney, sending the companies" shares down 3.4 per cent and 1.9 per cent respectively. The S&P 500 has moved sideways in the past month in light trading. The index is 0.9 per cent higher than its July 12 level, but 1 per cent off its early August highs. The Nasdaq in that same period has maintained levels near its 2013 highs, up 2.5 per cent since July 12 and only 0.6 per cent off its highs. However, the quiet market is unsurprising given historical precedent, said Sam Stovall, chief equity strategist an S&P Capital IQ. Investors shouldn't be too concerned about the currently low trading volume. Since 1950, average monthly S&P 500 trading volume as a per cent of total annual average volume was the highest in December and the lowest in July," Mr Stovall said. On a quarterly basis, not surprisingly, it was weakest during the third quarter. Therefore, there may be some truth to the old adage that "in the summer, investors focus more on their tans than their portfolios.""