Afternoon Markets: Dow Jones flat as optimism falls

America's blue chip index has climbed just 10 points (0.11%) 9,802.59 following strong rallies over the past two days. Financials are faring well. American Express added 1.06% to $36.22, while Bank of America Corp gained 0.96% to $17.42. Elsewhere, General Electric climbed 1.35% to $17.13 and Kraft Foods advanced 1.14% to $26.57. However, communications firms AT&T Inc shed 0.72% to $26.35, while Verizon Communications fell 2.04% to $29.79. In the UK, the FTSE is continuing to cement its position above 5,000 with a gain so far on Thursday of almost 39 points (0.75%) to 5,162.7...