Stocks mixed after Bank of America profit falls short

Wall Street started the week with a mixed performance today, as investors regained a cautious stance in response to a weaker-than-expected profit report from Bank of America Corp. and disappointing news from a smaller bank, National City Corp.

Investors were clearly uneasy about extending last week’s big gains after Bank of America reported that its first-quarter earnings fell 77% on write-downs and widening credit losses.