Stocks rise as financials' gains outweigh energy's losses

Mixed signals seemed to pull traders in opposite directions today. On one hand, crude oil prices fell on concerns that an economic recovery might be further off than it seemed a few weeks ago. That pushed energy companies' shares lower. On the other, credit rating firm Moody's said it might upgrade Brazil's sovereign debt, which would be a boon for banks holding its bonds. Financials rose on the news.

Despite falling sharply in the first hour or so of trading, the Dow Jones industrial average recovered by the end of the day, posting a gain of 44 points, or 0.5 percent, to close just below 8,325.

For more on stocks making moves today, be sure to check out BloggingStocks' market wrap-up.