US stocks finished an erratic session lower today, with a conflicting report on wholesale inflation and questions about the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy creating uncertainty for investors.

Wall Street managed a modest advance today, rising for a fourth time in five days as investors balanced a mixed economic assessment from the Federal Reserve against disappointing earnings from Eli Lilly.

Citigroup chairman and chief executive Sanford Weill today denied a newspaper report saying that state prosecutors informed Citigroup that the interests of Weill and Citigroup have diverged and that Weill could face legal action.