Wall Street ended a mildly erratic day slightly lower today after anxiety about widening credit problems offset investor optimism about a $2bn (€1.47bn) capital infusion into troubled mortgage lender Countrywide Financial Corp.

Wall Street pulled back sharply today as investors dealt with disappointing earnings reports and renewed concerns about the mortgage lending market.

EMC CORP, the world's third-largest maker of data-storage computers, had a fourth-quarter profit of $220.1 million as acquisitions helped boost sales 25%.

Wall Street edged higher in choppy trading today, with investors making few moves as they waited for companies to start reporting their fourth-quarter earnings this week.