Cerner Corp. took center stage among regional stocks Wednesday, posting a gain of more than 2 percent after reporting the day before sharply higher profits and orders for new business.

Shares in the North City-based healthcare information technology company climbed $1.86 to close at $85.46.

It was the strongest percentage gainer among major local companies. Others with positive gains included YRC, up 1.3 percent; Sprint, up 1.1 percent, and H&R Block, up 1.1 percent.

Sprint reports earnings early Thursday morning; YRC’s results are due out Friday.

Among declining stocks, O’Reilly Automotive fell 0.5 percent, UMB Financial lost 0.3 percent, and DST fell 0.7 percent.

Overall, stock indexes ended near the breakeven point on Wall Street, recovering from an early loss.

The Dow Jones industrial average ended with a gain of 7.22 points, or 0.05 percent, to close at 13,986.52.

It was down as much as 66 points in the early going.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index eked out a gain of just under a point to end at 1,512.12. The Nasdaq composite edged down 3.1 points, or 0.10 percent to 3,168.48.

The BATS 1000 rose 27.03 points, or 0.16 percent, to close at 17,094.65.

Time Warner rose 4 percent after the company said its net income grew 51 percent in the last three months of 2012. Ralph Lauren also rose sharply after posting solid results.

Three stocks rose for every two that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was about average at 3.5 billion shares.

Regional stocks

Capitol Federal Financial was unchanged at $11.71.

Cerner Corp. rose $1.86, or 2.22%, to close at $85.46.

Commerce Bancshares Inc. rose 10 cents, or 0.26%, to close at $37.98.

Compass Minerals rose 13 cents, or 0.18%, to close at $72.80.

DST Systems Inc. fell 45 cents, or 0.67%, to close at $66.75.

Ferrellgas Partners L.P. rose 12 cents, or 0.62%, to close at $19.57.

Garmin Ltd. rose 25 cents, or 0.66%, to close at $37.95.

Great Plains Energy rose 5 cents, or 0.23%, to close at $21.47.

H&R Block Inc. rose 26 cents, or 1.10%, to close at $24.00.

Inergy L.P. rose 6 cents, or 0.30%, to close at $19.82.

Kansas City Life Insurance Co. fell 6 cents, or 0.16%, to close at $38.07.

Kansas City Southern rose 11 cents, or 0.12%, to close at $94.79.

Layne Christensen Co. fell 10 cents, or 0.45%, to close at $22.29.

O’Reilly Automotive Inc. fell 49 cents, or 0.53%, to close at $92.59.

Sprint Nextel Corp. rose 6 cents, or 1.05%, to close at $5.77.

UMB Financial Corp. fell 14 cents, or 0.32%, to close at $43.74.

Waddell & Reed Financial Corp. rose 7 cents, or 0.17%, to close at $40.55.

YRC Worldwide Inc. rose 8 cents, or 1.29%, to close at $6.29.