US stocks end mixed

Caution dominated stock trading in New York today as investors made modest purchases of blue chips but also collected profits, limiting the market’s rise and giving the tech sector a losing session.

Wall Street’s gains grew out of news from the government that companies are rebuilding their inventories. But analysts said investors were also cashing in gains from the past month as they considered whether stocks have more potential for rallies ahead of first-quarter earnings results due out in April.