S&P 500 rises for third day; IBM drags on Dow

The S&P 500 rose for the third consecutive day on Wednesday after housing starts hit a four-year high, but the Dow was curbed by IBM after it posted weak revenue.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 5.22 points, or 0.04 percent, to end unofficially at 13,557. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 5.99 points, or 0.41 percent, to finish unofficially at 1,460.91. The Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 2.95 points, or 0.10 percent, to close unofficially at 3,104.12.

(Reporting by Angela Moon; Editing by Jan Paschal)