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.