* Energy shares pressured by decline in crude oil prices
* Kraft shares rise after revenue forecast
* Semiconductors slip after downgrades
* Indexes up: Dow 0.4 pct, S&P 0.4 pct, Nasdaq 0.5 pct
* For up-to-the-minute market news see [STXNEWS/US] (Updates to close)
By Chuck Mikolajczak
NEW YORK, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Wall Street advanced on Wednesday but remained hemmed in a recent trading range as disappointing economic data hindered the S&P 500 from breaking through a stubborn technical level.
Markets were pressured early by a report showing a measure of New York state business conditions slipped to the lowest level in more than a year, while industrial output rose at a slower rate in August. [ID:nN15145257]
The S&P found support shortly after the reports at its 200-day moving average, climbing back above the 1,115 level.
But the benchmark index was once again unable to pierce the 1,130 threshold, seen as a key resistance level by analysts, which, if breached, could spark further buying.
"Pretty much everything was down across the board as far as the data, and the market really didn't flinch. It recovered quite nicely once the bell rang," said Dan Cook, senior market analyst at IG Markets in Chicago.
"We are due for a serious test of that 1,130 this week, and we should get a determination there. Maybe we are just taking a pause before that next charge begins."
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 46.24 points, or 0.44 percent, to 10,572.73. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 3.97 points, or 0.35 percent, to 1,125.07. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> climbed 11.55 points, or 0.50 percent, to 2,301.32.
Among the top decliners, energy shares were pressured by a fall in crude oil prices and technology shares lost ground after some bearish analyst comments.
Equities were little moved after the Japanese government intervened in global currency markets to sell yen for the first time in six years, though the U.S. dollar climbed. For details, see [ID:nN15153809]
October crude futures
Chevron Corp
Fellow Dow component Kraft Foods Inc
Semiconductors edged lower after Goldman Sachs downgraded
chipmakers Micron Technology Inc
Micron shares lost 4.5 percent to $6.94 and Maxim shed 0.5 percent to $16.75. The Philadelphia semiconductor index <.SOX> fell 0.3 percent. [ID:nSGE68E0ET]
Volume was light with about 6.6 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, well below last year's estimated daily average of 9.65 billion.
Advancing stocks outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by about 1.1 to 1, while on the Nasdaq, advancers beat decliners four to three. (Editing by Padraic Cassidy)