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NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market ended up more or less where it began Monday in a quiet day for investors who had little eco- nomic data or company earnings to react to. Analysts said the market is likely to remain in a hold- ing pattern until traders hear from Janet Yellen in her first testimony before Congress since becoming head of the Federal Reserve. After spending most of the day lower, the Dow Jones Industrial average turned slightly higher in late trading and closed up 7.71 points, or 0.1 percent, at 15,801.79. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 2.82 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,799.84 and the Nasdaq composite rose 22.31 points, or 0.5 percent, to 4,148.17. The tech-heavy Nasdaq was pushed higher by Apple, which rose $9.31, or 2 percent, to $528.99. Apple rose after the activist investor Carl Icahn said he has dropped his shareholder proposal to force Apple to increase its stock buybacks. Apple recently disclosed it had bought $14 billion of its own stock. Yellen, who started her term as head of the central bank this month, is sched- uled to testify before Con- gress on Tuesday and Wednesday. Yellen's com- ments will be closely watched, especially after recent disappointing eco- nomic news and the Fed's decision to further reduce on its monthly bond pur- chases. Despite recent volatility in the market, investors believe that Yellen will like- ly continue her predeces- sor's plan to continue wind- ing down the Fed's eco- nomic stimulus program. Last week, the Fed cut its bond purchases to $65 bil- lion a month. ''We should expect more volatility as the Fed transi- tions away from its (eco- nomic stimulus plan),'' said Doug Cote, chief invest- ment strategist at ING Investment Management. Investors got a respite from a recent deluge of earnings and economic reports. Wall Street remains in the middle of earnings season, when the bulk of the nation's publicly traded companies report their quarterly results. Only two out of the 55 compa- nies announcing this week reported their results Mon- day: the toy maker Hasbro and the industrial conglom- erate Loews Corp. Hasbro rose $2.27, or 5 percent, to $52.36. Has- bro's said its fourth-quarter profits fell from a year ago, due to a slow holiday sea- son, but it also boosted its dividend and issued a bright outlook for 2014. Loews, which owns a variety of businesses including insurance, oil drilling and hotels and resorts, fell $1.92, or 4 per- cent, to $43.26. The compa- ny reported a loss of 51 cents a share, due to some one-time charges tied to its ownership of insurance company CNA Financial. So far this quarter, 344 members of the S&P 500 index have reported their results. While the earnings results have been solid — up 8.1 percent from a year ago, according to FactSet — many companies have been lowering their fore- casts for 2014. Fifty-seven companies have cut their forecasts for 2014, while only 14 have raised them, according to Factset. ''The guidance for the upcoming quarters has not been good at all,'' said Sam Stovall, chief equity strate- gist with S&P Capital IQ. Stocks are also coming off of a strong finish last week. The Dow rose 188 points on Thursday and 166 points on Friday. The mar- ket rallied Friday despite a government report that U.S. employers added just 113,000 jobs in January, fewer than economists were anticipating. 8B Daily News – Tuesday, February 11, 2014 530-366-3166 www.redbluffdodge.com 545 Adobe Rd., Red Bluff, CA 2 Bud's BBQ 22825 Antelope Blvd. Red Bluff We seat 40 people inside M-F 11am-6pm Sat. 11am-3pm Closed Sunday (530) 528-0799 CATER COMPANY MEETINGS BBQ PORK ★ BEEF ★ CHICKEN VOTING IS UNDER WAY! Vote for your favorite Tehama County Businesses before Wednesday, February 26. Online Ballots Only at www.redbluffdailynews.com Five Lucky Voters will be selected at random from all eligible ballots on March 4. Each will receive a $100 Shopping Spree at the Tehama County business of their choice! www.redbluff.mercy.org /veincare Get a Leg up on Your Health With the St. Elizabeth Center for Vein Care. Call anytime 888-628-1948 for a referral for varicose vein treatment options redbluff.mercy.org/veincare 1850 TRAINOR ST. Keith Ellis Owner 36 Years in Tehama County ♦ Collision Repair ♦ Hot Rods ♦ Glass Replacement ♦ Complete Paint Jobs ♦ Heavy Truck Repair & Painting ♦ Expert Frame Work ♦ ALL WORK GUARANTEED Mon.-Fri. 9AM-5PM (530) 527-6166 78 Belle Mill Road Red Bluff, CA GAUMER'S Jewelry • Museum • Lapidary Remember Your Special Someone On Valentine's Day US stocks end slightly higher in quiet trading Wall Street