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.

Wall Street rose today on some strong earnings and new deals, but not without a struggle, as mounting signs of a tougher lending climate continued to dog investors.

US stocks rose moderately today as investors digested Tuesday’s gains, which followed the Federal Reserve’s signal that it may be nearing the end of its streak of short-term interest rate hikes.

Technology shares sank today on disappointing news from Intel, briefly pushing the Nasdaq composite index into negative territory for the year despite a brighter forecast from wireless equipment maker Qualcomm.

Wall Street lost some momentum today after Wal-Mart turned in a disappointing earnings report and government data showed a slightly higher number of jobless claims and a larger-than-expected trade deficit.