Stocks shook off a wobbly start and ended higher on Wall Street. The S&P 500 climbed 0.5% Thursday.

Several earnings reports from big U.S. companies came in better than analysts had expected, which helped put investors in a buying mood.

Also, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said progress was being made on talks to deliver more stimulus to the economy.

The back-and-forth moves were typical of the market's recent meandering trading in recent weeks as investors try to gauge the chances of whether Washington will reach a deal on more economic aid.

Treasury yields and oil prices ended higher.