Profit fears hit Dow; S&P, Nasdaq eke gains

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Dow fell for a fifth straight day on Tuesday as investors fretted over what many expect will be a gloomy earnings season, overshadowing a boost in financials on bets U.S. authorities will take toxic assets off banks' books.

* But the S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended higher as rising oil prices lifted energy shares and biotechnology companies gained as investors bet they will be among the few sectors with growing earnings.

* Among the biggest drags was Boeing , which fell after a Credit Suisse downgrade and General Electric dropped 5.6 percent after an analyst said the economic bellwether's profit could rely heavily on tax benefits when it reports results next Friday.

* Based on the latest available data, the Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> slipped 25.65 points, or 0.30 percent, to close unofficially at 8,448.32. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 1.38 points, or 0.16 percent, at 871.64 and the Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> added 7.67 points, or 0.50 percent, at 1,546.46.

(Reporting by Deepa Seetharaman; Editing by Kenneth Barry)