NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Stocks gained Tuesday, staging a comeback at the end of a volatile session in which investors struggled with the competing influences of mixed earnings, lower oil prices and an upbeat read on consumer confidence.

The Dow Jones industrial average (up 52.66 to 11,103.71, Charts) rose 0.5 percent, while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 (up 7.97 to 1,268.88, Charts) index rose 0.6 percent.

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The tech-fueled Nasdaq composite (up 12.06 to 2,073.90, Charts) also added 0.6 percent.

All three major gauges had been on both sides of unchanged throughout the session, before making a final push higher in the last hour of trading.

Treasury prices slipped, lifting the corresponding yields. Oil prices fell. Gold prices jumped.

With no economic news due Wednesday morning, earnings news is likely to remain front and center. Reports are expected before the start of trade from Dow components Boeing (Charts) and General Motors (Charts). Lucent Technologies (Charts) is also expected to report results.

Other stocks likely to be active Wednesday include a number of technology issues that reported results after Tuesday's close.

After the close, Hewlett-Packard (Charts) said that it would buy Mercury Interactive, a software and business services firm for about $4.5 billion in cash. Hewlett shares dipped 3 percent in extended-hours trading.

In after-hours earnings news, Amazon.com (Charts) reported quarterly results that fell from a year ago and missed estimates, on revenue that fell from a year ago and basically met estimates. Shares slumped nearly 10 percent in extended-hours trading.

Also after the close, Sun Microsystems (Charts) reported a narrower-than-expected quarterly loss versus a year-ago profit. The company also reported revenue that rose from a year ago and topped estimates. Shares gained around 2.5 percent in extended hours trading.

Xilinx (Charts) also reported quarterly results after the close. The chipmaker said it earned 24 cents per share, versus 21 cents a year ago. However, analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial were expecting earnings of 26 cents, and Xilinx shares fell 5 percent after the close.

Corning (Charts) reported quarterly earnings that rose and beat estimates, on revenue that rose from a year ago, but was short of analysts' estimates. The company also forecast third-quarter earnings and sales that are shy of current expectations. Shares fell more than 9 percent in extended-hours trading.

Stocks rallied Monday, with the Nasdaq scoring its second-best day of the year on a percentage basis, following some big deals and upbeat earnings.

But Tuesday was more herky-jerky, with stocks struggling throughout the session, before the end-of-day advance.

"I think a lot of people are trying to keep their toes in the water, in terms of building a bit on yesterday," said Chris Johnson, market strategist at Schaeffer's Investment Research. "But the problem is we're really at this crossroads on a technical level and that's been stalling us."

A strong read on consumer confidence, lower oil prices and some upbeat earnings from AT&T and a few other companies were among the session's positives.

Among the negatives: disappointing earnings from 3M and ongoing concerns about a slowing economy, rising interest rates and the impact such an environment might have on corporate profits.

The market is likely to continue see-sawing in the short term, particularly amid the typically mild summer trading volume, said John Forelli, portfolio manager at Independence Investments.

Although the earnings have been mostly upbeat, Forelli said he's not expecting the earnings to provide a catalyst for stocks. But maybe the next Federal Reserve policy meeting on August 8th could, he added.

"I think they will probably raise rates at that meeting, and what the market will be looking for is benign language in the statement to suggest that the rate hikes are done," Forelli said. "Should that happen, that would be a catalyst for stocks."

Gains were pretty broad, with 24 out of 30 Dow issues posting gains.

Component AT&T (up $1.17 to $28.95, Charts) climbed 4.2 percent after reporting a bigger-than-forecast rise in quarterly profit, thanks in part to its Cingular Wireless joint venture.

The Dow's other big advancers included Boeing (up $2.31 to $83.75, Charts) and General Motors (up $0.99 to $30.66, Charts).

Texas Instruments (up $1.11 to $28.95, Charts) gained 4 percent after it reported late Monday quarterly earnings and revenue that rose from a year ago and met forecasts. That initially gave a lift to other chipmakers, but the impact waned by the afternoon.

SanDisk (up $5.91 to $46.11, Charts) surged 14.7 percent after reporting late Monday higher quarterly earnings and revenue that beat forecasts, thanks to robust sales of its flash memory cards used in cell phones.

Home building stocks rose after a report showed that existing home sales slowed in June, but not by as much as economists were expecting.

The Dow Jones Home Construction (Charts) index added 3 percent.

On the downside, Dow component 3M (down $3.58 to $68.11, Charts) slumped 5 percent after posting quarterly earnings that rose from the prior year, but missed forecasts. The manufacturer - which makes everything from Post-It notes to respirators - also warned that third-quarter earnings would miss forecasts.

Chemical maker DuPont (up $0.10 to $40.67, Charts), also a Dow component, reported quarterly earnings and revenue that were short of estimates, due to higher energy and ingredient costs. Shares ended modestly higher after sliding throughout the session.

UPS (down $8.20 to $71.80, Charts) reported quarterly earnings that rose from a year earlier, but were short of analysts' forecasts. The package delivery firm also issued a current-quarter forecast that was shy of estimates, sending shares down roughly 10.3 percent.

Encysive Pharmaceuticals (down $2.49 to $3.69, Charts) fell 40 percent in unusually active Nasdaq trade after experiencing another regulatory setback for its experimental treatment for a lung condition.

Netflix (down $4.98 to $18.78, Charts) slumped around 21 percent after reporting late Monday higher quarterly earnings that beat estimates and higher quarterly revenue that missed estimates. The company also kept its full-year forecasts unchanged, which disappointed some investors.

Market breadth was positive. On the New York Stock Exchange, winners beat losers by two to one as 1.74 billion shares changed hands. On the Nasdaq, advancers beat decliners three to two on volume of 1.96 billion shares.

U.S. light crude oil for September delivery fell $1.30 to settle at $73.75 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange on hopes for progress in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

Treasury prices fell, lifting the yield on the benchmark 10-year note to 5.06 percent from around 5.04 percent late Monday. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.

COMEX gold for August delivery rose $4.80 to settle at $618 an ounce.

Caution: slowdown ahead.

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