OH SO CLOSE: The Dow Jones industrial average rose 73 points Thursday afternoon, putting it within 15 points of its all-time high. But the rally sputtered, and the index ended the day down 20 points.

IT'S THE ECONOMY: The government reported that the economy grew at an annual rate of 0.1 percent late last year - better than the 0.1 percent decline the government had originally estimated, but hardly robust.

COMPANY EARNINGS: Restaurants, retailers and other companies turned in disparate earnings. Wendy's, Domino's and Monster Beverage reported higher profit and revenue. Barnes & Noble, J.C. Penney and Groupon reported losses.