Stocks ended mostly lower yesterday as investors dumped nearly all big-name technology shares amid renewed worries about sliding corporate earnings through the rest of the year.

The Dow Jones Industrial average posted a nominal gain of 2.93 points at 10,908.76, while all other broader indices declined.

The Nasdaq composite index fell 93.51 points, or 2.43 per cent, to 3,759.99, while the Standard & Poor's 500 fell 12.62 points to finish at 1,460.25.

"Even though overall earnings have been very good and we've gotten most of the reports for the second quarter now, people are worried that it's going to be less positive in the third and fourth quarters," said Mr Alfred Kugel, senior investment strategist at Stein, Roe & Farnham.

The market will be closely watching today's July producer price index, a measure of inflation at the wholesale level.