Stocks Ended Mixed, Nasdaq Gained

U.S. stocks ended mixed on Thursday, with the Nasdaq rising thanks to an earnings-inspired rally by semiconductor stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 22.38 points, or 0.09%, to 24,553.24. The S&P 500 was down 3.63 points, or 0.14%, to 2,642.33. The Nasdaq Composite gained 47.69 points, or 0.68%, to 7,073.46.

Oil futures split paths on Thursday, with U.S. prices settling higher and the global benchmark logging a slight loss as traders reacted to a weekly surge in U.S. crude stockpiles and the possibility of U.S. sanctions on Venezuelan crude amid intensifying political tensions in the South American nation. West Texas Intermediate crude for March delivery added 51 cents, or 1%, to settle at $53.13 a barrel. March Brent lost a nickel, or less than 0.1%, to $61.09 a barrel.

Intel Corp. (INTC) reported fourth-quarter net income of $5.2 billion, or $1.12 a share, compared with a loss of $687 million, or 15 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Adjusted earnings were $1.28 a share. Revenue rose to $18.66 billion from $17.05 billion in the year-ago quarter.