US stocks closed higher after toggling in and out of negative territory Tuesday, as mixed earnings reports and economic data in the day provided no clear direction for the market.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 89.32 points, or 0.55 percent, to 16,262.56. The S&P 500 added 12.37 points, or 0.68 percent, to 1,842.98. The Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 11. 47 points, or 0.29 percent, to 4,034.16.

The market staged a seesaw trading session, as investors tried to search for direction in the midst of mixed signals from earnings reports, economic data and geopolitical uncertainties in Ukraine.

Major stock indices initially moved higher, boosted by better- than-expected quarterly results from two Dow components.

Coca-Cola said its net operating revenue for the first quarter dropped 4 percent to 10.58 billion dollars, slightly above analysts' expectations. Shares of the beverage seller rallied 3.74 percent to 40.18 dollars apiece.

Johnson & Johnson said its first-quarter net earnings jumped 35 percent year-on-year to 4.7 billion dollars, or 1.64 dollars per diluted share, as quarterly sales rose 3.5 percent to 18.1 billion dollars, beating analysts' forecast. Shares of the healthcare product provider added 2.12 percent to 99.20 dollars apiece.

Tech giants Intel and Yahoo reported earnings after the closing bell. Yahoo shares surged in the after-hour trading as the company 's first-quarter results topped Wall Street estimates. Intel shares also rose in the extended trading session after the chip maker posted lower quarterly profit but its outlook for the current quarter topped market forecast.

However, the market soon pared all early gains around midday before bouncing back to the positive territory heading into the close, as a bunch of economic data came out lackluster.

US builder confidence in the market for newly built, single- family homes edged up one point to 47 in April from a downwardly revised March reading of 46, according to the latest Housing Market Index by the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo.

Moreover, manufacturing activity in the New York region was flat in April, with the headline general business conditions index unexpectedly slipping four points to 1.3, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Furthermore, the US Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers increased 0.2 percent in March on a seasonally adjusted basis, said the Labor Department.

Rising tensions in Ukraine also jittered investors, amplifying market volatility.



On the previous trading day, US stocks rebounded from the heavy sell-off last week, as Citigroup's earnings and robust retail sales boosted market sentiment.

In other markets, the dollar advanced against major currencies Tuesday as data showed US inflation rate increased in March.

In late New York trading, the euro dropped to 1.3809 dollars from 1.3821 dollars in the previous session, while the dollar bought 101.83 Japanese yen, higher than 101.72 yen of the previous session.

Oil prices retreated on forecasts that US crude inventories increased last week.

Light, sweet crude for May delivery moved down 30 cents to settle at 103.75 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Gold futures on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange dropped more than 2 percent, giving back the previous day 's gains due to profit-taking.

The most active gold contract for June delivery fell 27.2 dollars, or 2.05 percent, to settle at 1,300.3 dollars per ounce.