Prices fluctuate as reports are picked over

Stock prices gyrated all day and ended mostly higher yesterday after investors had picked apart every penny and nuance of several…

Stock prices gyrated all day and ended mostly higher yesterday after investors had picked apart every penny and nuance of several high-profile earnings reports and forecasts. The Dow Jones industrial rose 82.65 points to close at 9,203.32.

Broad stock indicators were higher at the close, and the Nasdaq composite was showing a healthy gain after Microsoft, one of its high-profile names, announced a two-for-one stock split. Volume on the New York Stock Exchange was moderate.

Shares of AT and T, which reported fourth-quarter earnings on target but which cautioned analysts to lower their expectations for the first quarter, were lower. American Express was up after the company reported that its fourth-quarter net income was 1.16 dollars a share.