Wall Street ended higher on Wednesday after a choppy session, helped by gains in technology shares after Hewlett-Packard Co posted higher-than-expected earnings.

For the tech sector, Hewlett-Packard's provided the spark today, after the Dow member and computer company boosted its earnings outlook above Wall Street expectations. It beat predictions with adjusted earnings of 86 cents a share causing shares to jump 8 percent.

Based on the latest available data, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 90.04 points, or 0.73 percent, to end unofficially at 12,427.26.

The Standard & Poor's 500 Index climbed 11.25 points, or 0.83 percent, to finish unofficially at 1,360.03. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 20.90 points, or 0.91 percent, to close unofficially at 2,327.10.

World Markets

The Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 50, an index of the 50 largest companies of Europe, dropped 46.80 points, or 1.23 percent, to 3758.47. The FTSE 100, London's benchmark index, lost 73.30 points, or 1.23 percent, to 5893.60.

Meanwhile, France's CAC 40 Index plunged 73.02 points, or 1.49 percent, to 4812.81 and Germany's DAX fell 102.61 or 1.47 percent, to 6899.68.

In Asia, market data also ended in the red. Japan's Nikkei 225 Index dived 447.54 points, or 3.25 percent, to 13310.37. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 532.59, or 2.21 percent, to 23590.58.

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