US stocks end mixed

Wall Street finished mixed today, nudging the Dow Jones industrials higher for the fourth straight session but moving cautiously as investors awaited new data to assess whether their hopes for an interest rate cut are justified.

Investors seemed uncertain about where to take the market a day after the Federal Reserve issued an economic assessment interpreted as opening up the possibility of a reduction in short-term rates. The statement unleashed a wave of buying that boosted the Dow by 159 points yesterday, but today’s session was erratic, with the Dow weaving in and out of positive territory throughout the day.