Wall St gains as factory data shines amid oil gloom

By Abhiram NandakumarREUTERS – Wall Street was little changed in choppy trading on Thursday, breaking away from sliding oil prices, as strong U.S. durable goods data pointed to a recovery in the struggling manufacturing sector. Orders for U.S. durable goods rose more than expected in January, as demand picked up across the board. Movements in crude prices have been the biggest influence on stock markets this year as investors see weak energy demand as a sign of sluggish global growth. Some