Signs of a weaker US housing market and a gloomier outlook on the economy gave investors more reasons to dump stocks today.

Wall Street ended a choppy session with a moderate advance today after a better-than-expected profit report at Boeing and a seesaw day in the energy markets.

Stocks finished mixed as lacklustre economic reports offered Wall Street little incentive to place big bets ahead of a long weekend.

Wall Street soared today, propelling the Standard & Poor's 500 index and Dow Jones industrials to record highs as bright spots among generally sluggish retail sales allowed investors to cast aside concerns about the health of the US economy.

Wall Street ended a volatile week with a sharp decline today as investors again succumbed to nervousness about rising interest rates and souring subprime loans. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 185 points.