Investing.com - U.S. stocks finished Wednesday mixed to higher as investors traded on earnings, while the ongoing conflict in Ukraine weighed on gains stemming from upbeat data released a day earlier.
At the close of U.S. trading, the Dow 30 fell 0.16%, the S&P 500 index rose 0.18%, while the NASDAQ Composite index rose 0.40%.
The Volatility S&P 500 index, which measures the outlook for market volatility, was down 5.72% at 11.54.
Earnings season is underway and the results have been positive for many.
Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA), Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ), Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (NYSE:CMG), Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) and others also sent investors flocking to stocks.
Better-than-expected revenue at Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) drew particular applause, while earnings at Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) rose at their highest rate in about two years.
Aircraft maker Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) reported solid earnings, with profits gaining 52%, though disappointing revenue weighed on the stock.
On the data front, investors continued to applaud U.S. inflation and existing home sales released on Tuesday.
The Labor Department reported that the U.S. consumer price index rose 2.1% in June, unchanged from the previous month and in line with forecasts.
On a month-over-month basis, U.S. consumer prices were up 0.3% after a 0.4% increase in May, also in line with expectations.
June's core inflation rate, which excludes food and energy costs, rose by 0.1% from May and 1.9% on year, slightly below market calls for 0.2% and 2.0% readings, respectively, which illustrated how gasoline was driving the CPI up, though markets viewed the numbers as fundamentally healthy anyway.
Elsewhere, the National Association of Realtors reported earlier that existing U.S. home sales rose 2.6% to 5.04 million units in June from 4.91 million in May, beating market forecasts for a 2.0% rise to 4.97 million units.
Still, reports that two Ukrainian jet fighters were shot down over the rebel-held city of Donetsk only days after pro-Russian separatists allegedly shot down a Malaysian Airlines flight with a missile capped stock-market gains and stoked fears fighting there and in Gaza will slow global recovery.
Leading Dow Jones Industrial Average performers included Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS), up 1.03%, Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), up 0.98%, and Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), up 0.69%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average's worst performers included Boeing Company (NYSE:BA), down 2.32%, Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT), down 1.49%, and United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX), down 1.02%.
European indices, meanwhile, ended the day higher.
After the close of European trade, the DJ Euro Stoxx 50 rose 0.08%, France's CAC 40 rose 0.16%, while Germany's DAX rose 0.20%. Meanwhile, in the U.K. the FTSE 100 rose 0.04%.
On Thursday the U.S. is to produce data on unemployment claims, manufacturing activity and new home sales.