NEW YORK (AP) — A day of dramatic swings on Wall Street, including Microsoft’s worst drop in years and a sudden reversal for the price of gold, finished with only relatively modest moves on Thursday. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Photo:Companies across the market are under pressure to deliver at least solid growth in profits following record-setting runs for their stock prices. Stock prices tend to follow the path of corporate profits over the long term, and earnings need to rise to quiet criticism that stocks have grown too expensive. Southwest Airlines flew 18.7% higher even though its profit fell short of forecasts. Oil prices rose roughly 3.5% on worries about potentially rising tensions between the United States and Iran, which could ultimately constrict the flow of crude.