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Wall Street made its best effort to extend a three-day winning streak into a fourth session but last-minute moves toward the flatline weren't enough. Stocks closed in the red after a pullback in crude prices pressured the energy sector. Retail stocks were under pressure after Restoration Hardware issued disappointing guidance. Fellow home and furniture retailers Williams-Sonoma and Bed Bath & Beyond sold off in sympathy. Fitbit climbed following a bullish analyst note from Wedbush. The firm initiated coverage on the fitness tracker maker with an OUTPERFORM rating, noting that it sees user growth from accessory sales and corporate wellness programs. Under Armour has enticed chief design officer Dave Dombrow back to the company just months after he left to join rival Nike . He has been behind some of Under Armour's most successful brands such as Stephen Curry's footwear line.

Stocks extended their decline as investors engaged in profit-taking after three days of gains. Crude also weighed on markets after falling below $51 a barrel. Oil had its best settlement since July a day earlier. Yahoo! spiked on reports it has received multiple bids worth more than $5 billion for its core Internet assets. The bidding process is expected to end by mid-July. Restoration Hardware tanked after slashing its quarterly and full-year outlook. The furniture retailer warned profit could tumble by as much as 40% this fiscal year as it tries to cut back on the number of discount offers. LinkedIn shares were active after RBC Capital upgraded the stock to outperform from sector perform.

U.S. stocks opened higher on Wednesday as oil prices traded at a 10-month high with West Texas Intermediate at $51 a barrel and Brent over $52.

The S&P 500 closed within reach of its all-time high again as crude oil settled at its highest since last summer. The benchmark index has closed at 2016 highs for the past three days. Lending Club had a rocky day of trading after FBR & Co. analysts downgraded to MARKET PERFORM from OUTPERFORM. The firm raised concerns over the peer-to-peer lender's ability to originate loans after recent scrutiny into operations. AK Steel surged after Credit Suisse released a bullish note on the U.S. steel market. Analysts upgraded AK to OUTPERFORM from UNDERPERFORM based on improving metal prices. Morgan Stanley shares were active after the SEC leveled a $1 million fine against the bank for allegedly failing to protect sensitive customer information. Morgan Stanley agreed to the settlement, though declined to admit wrongdoing.

Wall Street was mostly in the green as crude added to the week's gains after a steeper-than-expected decline in U.S. inventories. Crude was trading near $51 a barrel at 10-month highs.The number of job openings rose to a record high of 5.8 million in April, according to the latest JOLTS report. The pace at which companies hired slowed in April, while the rate of voluntary resignations slipped to 2%. Target was slightly higher after hiking its quarterly dividend by 7.1% to 60 cents a share. The quarterly dividend offers a new yield of 3.5%. Verifone was downgraded to EQUAL WEIGHT at Barclays and SECTOR WEIGHT at Pacific Crest. The two firms raised issues such as lack of near-term visibility and macro pressures in emerging markets.

U.S. stocks gained steam on Tuesday as oil prices crossed $50 a barrel. Supply outages in Nigeria boosted sentiment for the closely watched commodity. Valeant Pharmaceuticals shares sunk after slashing its profit outlook for the year. It now expects earnings between $6.60 and $7 a share, compared to a previously reported range of $8.50 to $9.50. For the first quarter, the troubled drugmaker reported earnings of $1.27 a share, missing estimates of $1.37. FedEx raised its quarterly dividend to 40 cents a share, from 25 cents. That's a 60 percent increase. Shares are up 1.4 percent on the news. TheStreet's Scott Gamm reports from Wall Street.

Stocks head into the trading day at the highest levels this year. Indexes rallied to 2016 highs as Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said interest rate hikes were needed but hedged on the timing of those. Verizon plans to submit a second-round bid of around $3 billion for Yahoo core internet business, which was much less than the $8 billion or so that was expected. The Wall Street Journal says a private equity firm, TPG Capital, is also expected to make an offer. There could be another round of bidding before a decision is made. Valeant reported its delayed first quarter results. Results missed the mark and will cut its full year earnings and revenue guidance. The new CEO said the company is making progress in stabilizing its business, which has been through controversy over price increases, questions about accounting and concerns over the use of a mail-order pharmacy.

The S&P 500 clinched a new closing high for 2016 as crude closed above $50 a barrel. The Nasdaq ended lower, though, weighed on by a health care selloff led by Valeant Pharmaceuticals and Biogen . PulteGroup spiked in afternoon trading on CNBC reports Elliott Management has taken a stake. Ralph Lauren slipped on plans to cut up to 10% of its workforce as part of a restructuring plan. A number of longtime execs could be affected by the job cuts. The retailer could take a charge of up to $400 million in fiscal 2017. Activist investor Carl Icahn has raised his stake in Hertz to 15.24%. The car-rental business has been active this week after announcing plans to separate from its equipment-rental business.

Stocks compounded early-week gains, helped along by a less-hawkish Federal Reserve and crude gains. The S&P 500 was less than 1% from its all-time high set in May 2015. Biogen slumped following disappointing results from a Phase 2 study of a treatment for multiple sclerosis. The biotech company had hoped the treatment would show improvement in physical and cognitive function and a slowing of the disability's progression. Royal Dutch Shell rose after boosting its expected cost-saving synergies target in its $50 billion acquisition of BG Group. The oiler expects to see $4.5 billion in synergies in 2018. General Electric was rated a new market perform with a $29 price target at Cowen. The firm said organic earnings growth may lag long-term expectations.

U.S. stocks opened slightly higher on Monday, as investors gear up for a speech from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, which takes on more significance after Friday's dismal May jobs report. But experts say Yellen will likely downplay the weak numbers and take a bigger picture focus. 'I think she's just going to remind everybody that this is one data point of many that the Fed is looking at and one data point does not constitute a trend,' said David Lebovitz, global markets strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management. Meanwhile, Walmart shares were upgraded to buy from hold by Jefferies. The analysts also raised their price target on the stock to $82 from $60. It now trades near $71. Burberry's (BRBY.L) CEO Christopher Bailey is taking a huge hit to his salary - a 75 percent hit for fiscal 2016. He will receive just under 2 million pounds, compared to 7.5 million pounds during the period year. This comes amid falling profits and a 35 percent drop in its stock over the last year. TheStreet's Scott Gamm reports from Wall Street.