Bernard Condon

This year’s flurry of corporate mergers may not pay off for shareholders in the long run, but one thing is for sure: The bosses who are selling their companies will do just fine.

Stocks wavered between small gains and losses on Thursday to close little changed as traders weighed generally strong earnings reports against the falling fortunes of energy companies.

US stocks wavered between small gains and losses in afternoon trading Thursday amid generally positive corporate earnings results.

U.S. stocks rose Tuesday after a key index tracking consumer confidence surged and several big companies reported earnings. Investors are also awaiting news from a two-day U.S. Federal Reserve meeting that ends Wednesday.

Stocks fell in late afternoon trading on Wednesday, a day after the Standard & Poor’s 500 index had its biggest gain of the year. That broad index is on track to end four days of gains after a stretch of tumultuous trading in recent weeks.