NEW YORK (AP) – Wall Street was essentially flat Thursday after struggling to resume a modest upward trend while investors juggled upbeat economic data, divergent earnings reports and a pullback in Chinese stocks. The Dow Jones industrials edged higher to a record close for the second straight day.

While a mix of profit reports pushed and tugged at stocks Thursday, investors also watched markets abroad, where stocks fell following word that economic growth in China’s first quarter jumped a higher-than-expected 11.1 percent and inflation increased at its fastest pace in more than two years. Chinese officials said they would take steps such as raising interest rates to curb growth.

Wall Street fell at the opening, then began to pare its losses after a research group said its barometer of future economic activity rose slightly in March, signaling modest growth in coming months. The Conference Board said its index of leading economic indicators rose 0.1 percent, as expected, to 137.4 in March. The reading follows two straight months of declines.

According to preliminary calculations, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 4.79, or 0.04 percent, to 12,808.63. On Wednesday, the Dow reached fresh trading and closing highs, perhaps signaling a recovery from a late February pullback that was triggered by a selloff on the Chinese market. Wednesday’s trading high of 12,838.46 and its close broke records set Feb. 20.

Broader market indicators dipped. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index was down 1.77, or 0.12 percent, at 1,470.73, and the Nasdaq composite index slipped 5.15, or 0.21 percent, to 2,505.35.

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