US stocks were little changed in choppy trading on Wednesday, as higher oil prices lifted energy shares and gains in semi-conductor stocks offset earlier losses tied to a disappointing economic report.
Major indexes had fallen after weaker-than-expected durable goods data hurt industrial shares and added to uneasiness about the outlook for corporate profits. But bond yields fell on the economic data, drawing more investors into stocks.
Stocks had also succumbed to fears about higher interest rates and the troubled subprime mortgage market. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 3.57 points, or 0.03 percent, at 13,341.23. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 3.32 points, or 0.22 percent, at 1,496.21. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 12.74 points, or 0.49 percent, at 2,586.90.