US stocks managed to extend their New Year’s rally to a third session on Wall Street today, edging higher in erratic trading as the tech sector rebounded on bullish news from chip maker Xilinx Inc.

Falling energy prices gave stocks a modest lift today as Wall Street set aside worries about interest rates and a weak forecast from Intel Corp. But the gains weren’t enough to help the major indexes, which ended the week with losses.

Stocks extended their losses into a second day today after a cautious outlook from home builder Toll Brothers Inc. and a surge in energy prices rattled investors.

Volatile oil prices and a weak dollar sent stocks plunging in the United States today as the prospect of inflation and rising interest rates sank in on Wall Street.

Stocks rebounded from early losses in the United States today, closing higher as National Semiconductor Corp’s better-than-expected earnings soothed investors’ concerns over higher unemployment and rising oil prices.