Wall Street closed out an impressive week with a mixed performance today after disappointing high-tech earnings punctured some of investors’ enthusiasm over better-than-expected bank earnings reports.

Wall Street's euphoria over a $200bn (€128.46bn) plan from the Federal Reserve turned to caution today, leading stocks to retreat a day after their biggest rally in more than five years.

Wall Street finished an erratic session mixed today with the Dow Jones industrials reaching a third straight record close despite concerns about corporate profits and the impact of falling oil prices.

US stocks rose modestly in the United States today after investors bobbed and weaved with every word of new Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s testimony before Congress.

Stocks fell today as oil prices rose past US$66 (€54.52) a barrel and Wells Fargo & Co. and other bank earnings disappointed the market.

Confident US investors, buoyed by positive earnings reports from the financial sector and bullish corporate outlooks for 2005, returned to the market today after weeks of uncertainty, pushing stocks sharply higher.

Investors burdened by angst about upcoming earnings reports shrugged off a spate of mergers and acquisitions news today, leaving stocks with only modest gains.