Trading was light and uneventful, with many investors making few moves while they awaited data that could give them clues about the direction of the economy and corporate profits.

"Everyone seems pretty complacent about the market," said David Hegarty, head trader at Commerzbank Securities. "They’re not seeing a dire need to do anything either way, to buy or to sell. It’s not exciting ... and that’s fine. I think the market is pretty fairly valued right now."

According to preliminary calculations, the Dow Jones industrial average closed up 60.32, or 0.6 percent, at 10,262.97.

The broader gauges were narrowly mixed. The Nasdaq composite index wilted 1.79, or 0.1 percent, to 1,988.98. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index gained 3.79, or 0.3 percent, to finish at 1,124.99.

Stocks have wobbled lately amid soaring oil prices, which reached a 21-year high yesterday after a weekend terror attack in Saudi Arabia. A possible remedy was in sight today, however, when the president of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said members of the group must assess their ability to produce more in an effort to calm the markets.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading crude exporter, has already boosted its production, and the United Arab Emirates announced today it plans to pump more oil as well. Kuwait has also said it could raise output. Oil ministers from OPEC’s 11 members were to discuss the matter tomorrow.

"The fact that more and more OPEC members are saying they’re willing to join in and up production is certainly a positive for the market," said Peter Cardillo, chief strategist at S.W. Bach & Co. "I think the feeling is ... barring any unforeseen geopolitical problems, the price of oil is going to head lower."

While the prospect of lower fuel prices was good news for inflation-wary investors, buyers seemed to lack conviction today, and volume remained light. Market participants may be reluctant to make big commitments ahead of the government’s May employment report, due Friday. Strong data in recent months has raised anxieties about rising interest rates, though analysts say Wall Street has largely absorbed those worries.

Two Dow components were downgraded by brokerage firms today. McDonald’s Corp. lost 4 cents to $26.43 after Prudential Investments lowered its rating from "overweight" to "neutral." Home Depot Inc. fell 9 cents at $35.67 after Bank of America downgraded it to "neutral."