At midday on Thursday, Wall Street was slightly lower amid a week of numerous releases of economic data. The declines, of just 0.1 percent for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Nasdaq Composite, and the S&P 500, were attributed to investor hesitation ahead of employment figures to be released on Friday as well as to many early departures for the summer-ending Labor Day holiday this weekend. The Dow was 2.87 points lower to 11,374.10, while the Nasdaq had fallen by 2.87 points to 2,182.86 and the S&P was down 1.21 points to 1,303.06.

Miners were up on the news that Glamis Gold will be purchased by Goldcorp of Canada for $8.6 billion in stock. Glamis added 19 percent to $46.25. Elsewhere in the sector, Freeport McMoran was 2.1 percent higher to $58.29, while Barrick Gold gained 2.6 percent to $33.65. Related to the sector, mining equipment maker Joy Global was up 15.7 percent to $41.47 on a five-fold increase in earnings in its fiscal third quarter.

In the retail sector, Nordstrom added 4.5 percent to $36.88 on a 7 percent increase in August same-store sales. Meanwhile, discount retailer Family Dollar advanced by 5 percent to $25.44 on an increased earnings prediction for the fourth quarter.

Ebay fell 3.3 percent to $27.03 on the news that a privacy watchdog in the UK is looking at allegations that the online auctioneer has given user details to third parties and prevented users from deleting their accounts.

In the telecommunications sector, equipment maker JDS Uniphase dropped 13.7 percent to $2.27 on the announcement that its fiscal first-quarter revenues will not reach analyst predictions.

Equities markets in New York were mixed on Wednesday at midday despite some good news in the form of an upwardly revised number for the gross domestic product in the second quarter. Instead of the first estimate of GDP growth of 2.5 percent in the quarter, growth was estimated to have been at 2.9 percent, fairly close to the expected 3 percent growth.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was close to flat, up only 4.32 points halfway through the session, to 11.374.26. The Nasdaq Composite was 0.3 percent higher to 2,179.51, but the S&P 500 was 0.1 percent lower to 1,303.58.

The telecommunications sector was mixed. After reporting that its third-quarter earnings were down by 50 percent, ADC Telecommunications dropped 8.3 percent to $13.53. With share values down by 40 percent so far this year, Credit Suisse reduced its recommendation on ADC from “outperform” to “neutral”. Harris, another telecoms equipment manufacturer, was 2.8 percent lower to $44.01, also after a broker downgrade. Prudential lowered their rating from “neutral weight” to “underweight.” Gainers in the telecoms sector included Qualcomm, which added 1.3 percent to $38.12. In addition, Lucent was 2.6 percent higher to $2.36.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber was up by 2.2 percent to $13.51, bringing its gains to 37 percent in just six weeks.

The oil sector was lower as crude prices declined again after this week’s inventories report showed gains in crude oil and gasoline stockpiles. Nabors Industries dropped 2.4 percent to $32.70, while Marathon Oil declined 3.6 percent to $84.70.

New York equities markets were lower at midday on Tuesday on declining consumer confidence and losses in the oil sector due to falling crude oil prices. Mid-session found the Dow Jones Industrial Average 0.4 percent lower to 11,312.47. The S&P 500 was also down by 0.4 percent, to 1,296.38, while the Nasdaq Composite had declined by 0.6 percent to 2,148.09.

Homebuilders were lower on the day. DR Horton fell 2.6 percent to $21.29 and Puelte dropped 2.7 percent to $28.52.

In the oil sector, Murphy Oil declined by 2.2 percent to $48.74, while Sunoco was 2.4 percent lower to $74.03 as crude oil prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange reached their lowest level in over two months.

The declining oil prices helped the airlines, however. JetBlue Airways added 1.1 percent to $10.37, while Continental Airlines gained 2.3 percent to $24.50.

Elsewhere, brokerages were down. Morgan Stanley was 2.6 percent lower to $65.18 and Lehman Brothers dropped 3.5 percent to $62.18.

Apple Computers also declined, falling 2.3 percent to $65.42 after Universal Music said it would open a free online music website to compete with Apple’s iTunes. Circuit City, the electronics retailer, was also lower, declining 2.7 percent to $22.31.

Dropping crude oil prices put investors in a better mood, sending the New York equities markets up at the mid-point of the session on Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.6 percent to 11,355.13, while the Nasdaq Composite was 0.9 percent higher to 2,159.29. The S&P 500 also added 0.6 percent, to 1,302.33.

Oil prices, which fell after weather forecasters said it was not likely that tropical storm Ernesto would hit any oil facilities in the Gulf of Mexico, sent shares in oil companies lower. Occidental Petroleum was 1.6 percent lower to $52.58, while Valero Energy dropped 2.3 percent to $60.98.

Internet stocks were up on the day. Google and Ebay both advanced after the two companies said that they would collaborate on advertising. Google added 1.6 percent to $379.34, while Ebay was 2.1 percent higher to $25.82. Elsewhere in the sector, Amazon advanced by 3.2 percent to $28.92 on news of a stock buy-back worth $500 million.

In other computer related sectors, chipmaker Intel gained 1.8 percent to $19.23 and Dell Computer added 2.1 percent to $22.21.

Package delivery company FedEx was up 2.1 percent to $101.23 after it reached a provisional agreement for a four-year contract with its pilots’ union over the weekend.

At midday on Friday, the New York equities markets seemed poised to end the week lower than they began as weak data and rising crude oil prices hurt investor sentiment. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.2 percent lower for the day and 0.9 percent down on the week to 11,284.45 and the S&P 500 was also 0.2 percent lower for the session so far and 0.6 percent lower for the week to 1,294.18. While the Nasdaq Composite was 0.1 percent higher for the day at 2,139.64, it was 1.1 percent lower on the week.

Among the economic data that contributed to this week’s declining sentiment was a larger than expected decline in the sale of both new and existing homes in July. Durable goods orders were also down in the latest figures. The bad news on home sales hurt the home improvement retail sector, with Home Depot dropping 4.1 percent during the week to $33.36, while Lowe’s lost 10.1 percent to $26.55. Beyond the housing data, Lowe’s was also hurt by a second quarter report that showed profits lower than had been expected.

Other retailers were also down on the week as the slowdown in home sales raised concerns that consumer spending in other areas would also decline. Among consumer electronics retailers, Best Buy dropped 7.1 percent to $45.53, while Circuit City was 12.2 percent lower to $22.50. Discount retailer Dollar General dropped even more, falling 13.2 percent to $12.23.

In the homebuilding sector, KB Home was 8.9 percent lower over the week to $40.44, partly on the news that it is being informally investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission for its practices in the granting of stock options.

The news on orders for durable goods affected heavy industry. Caterpillar, the construction equipment maker, declined by 3.5 percent to $65.91, while aerospace company Boeing dropped 4.3 percent to $74.27.

US homebuilders were hit by news that existing home sales were down in July to their lowest level in over two years, sending the New York equities markets lower at midday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.4 percent lower at mid-session, to 11,300.06, while the Nasdaq Composite had dropped 0.6 percent to 2,137.25 and the S&P 500 had declined by 0.4 percent to 1,293.68.

With new home sales data due out later in the day, Pulte was 2.3 percent lower to $28.45, while KB Home had dropped 4.8 percent to $41.13.

Also on the losing side was XM Satellite Radio. After gains on Tuesday on a broker upgrade, XM was down 4.6 percent to $12.90. Campbell Soup was also lower at mid-session, dropping 2.8 percent to $36.81 after Prudential downgraded the foods company from “neutral weight” to “underweight”.

Ford Motor added 5.1 percent to $7.80 on talk that Bill Ford had spoken to the head of Nissan and Renault about a possible co-operation deal if a deal with General Motors falls through.

The semiconductor sector was up, with Advanced Micro Devices adding 1.1 percent to $25.14 and National Semiconductor up 2.4 percent to $23.13 even though it lowered its revenue prediction for the current quarter.

The New York equities markets were higher at midday on Tuesday on speculation that interest rates have finally finished rising and might even start to decline. At mid-session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had added 0.2 percent to 11,361.54, while the Nasdaq Composite was 0.5 percent higher to 2,158.54 and the S&P 500 had gained 0.3 percent to 1,301.11.

In the semiconductor sector, Jabil Circuit was 2.4 percent higher to $27.88, to a total rise of 27 percent in the past month. It had previously fallen 50 percent from March until a month ago. Advanced Micro Devices added 6.3 percent to $24.87 on an optimistic market share forecast by a company official.

Internet search engine Yahoo was 1.5 percent higher to $29.32, while online auctioneer Ebay was up 3.9 percent to $27.79. Among computer makers, Apple Computer advanced by 2.2 percent to $68.04.

Satellite radio providers were up after Bear Stearns upgraded XM Satellite Radio from “underperform” to “outperform”. XM added 13.2 percent to $12.72 on the upgrade. Sirius Satellite Radio also benefited from the news, gaining 3.9 percent to $4.04.

Toll Brothers was up 4.4 percent to $25.87 even though the homebuilder reported a 19 percent drop in profits in its third quarter due to declines in the US housing market. The lower profits were about where they had been expected to be.

Wall Street was down on Monday as crude oil prices were once again on the rise as worries grew once again over Iran’s insistence on continuing its nuclear development program. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the session 0.3 percent lower to 11,345.05, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.8 percent to 2,147.75 and the S&P 500 declined by 0.4 percent to 1,297.52.

Nearly the only sector that the higher oil prices helped was the oil sector itself. ExxonMobil was 1.1 percent higher to $69.83, while Marathon Oil added 3.1 percent to $89.94.

Also higher on the day, as investors sought a safe place to put their money, was the gold segment of the mining sector. Newmont Mining was up 3.6 percent to $52.55. Barrick Gold added 4.2 percent to $33.00. Copper miners also saw gains as a South American strike continued with not immediate hope of a solution. Freeport McMoran advanced by 4.7 percent to $57.15 and Coeur d’Alene was 4.9 percent higher to $5.37.

Home improvement retailers were lower. Lowe’s dropped 4 percent to $28.35 on a disappointing second-quarter report, and has lost 15 percent since January. Home Depot followed Lowe’s lower, falling 1.4 percent to $34.30. Elsewhere in the retail sector, Dollar General was down 9.6 percent to $12.74.

Transport was hit by higher oil prices, with Burlington Northern Santa Fe dropping 3.5 percent to $66.07 and Norfolk Southern declining by 4.1 percent to $42.46.

Internet stocks were lower as well, as Google fell 1.6 percent to $377.30, Yahoo was 3 percent lower to $28.90, and Amazon declined 3.4 percent to $28.13.

The New York equities markets were lower at midday on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average unmoved for the day so far at 11,332.32, the Nasdaq Composite 0.4 percent lower to 2,149.10, and the S&P 500 down 0.1 percent to 1,296.38. The declines, however, could not erase the weeks gains and at mid-session the Dow stood up 2.2 percent on the week, while the Nasdaq was 4.4 percent higher and the S&P stood 2.3 percent above where it began the week.

The oil sector did not help the weeks gains, although dropping oil prices had a positive effect on investor sentiment. Among oil companies, Valero Energy was 5.5 percent lower on the week to $61.27 and Hess dropped 6.7 percent to $48.44.

Computer makers saw advances, although Dell was only 0.2 percent higher for the week at $21.12 at the middle of Friday’s session, having lost the 8 percent it had gained during the week after the company reported that its second-quarter earnings had fallen by 51 percent. In addition, it was revealed that the Securities and Exchange Commission has been investigating Dell for the past year in connection with its accounting practices. Elsewhere in the sector, Hewlett-Packard added 7.4 percent over the week, to $35.50, on the strength of a better than expected earnings report and the announcement of a share buyback.

Semiconductors also had a good week. Intel was 5.6 percent higher to $18.38, while Broadcom added 17 percent to $29.29. Advanced Micro Devices rode a Citibank upgrade from “hold” to “buy” to an 18.5 percent advance to $23.43. PMC-Sierra gained 24.3 percent over the week to $6.29.

Wall Street was working on a fourth day of gains in a row at midday on Thursday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.3 percent higher to 11,359.86, the Nasdaq Composite added 0.7 percent to 2,163.75, and the S&P 500 gained 0.2 percent to 1,298.22.

The semiconductor sector was up as Advanced Micro Devices was 7.7 percent higher to $24.31 on an upgrade from Citigroup, which upped the chipmaker’s recommendation from “hold” to “buy” after reports that Dell is poised to use more AMD chips in its computers. PMC-Sierra gained 8.4 percent to $6.62 said it had not uncovered any deliberate misconduct by its employees in relation to the granting of stock options.

Computer maker Hewlett-Packard added 4.3 percent to $35.92 when it announced that it would conduct a $6 billion share buy-back. HP’s earnings in its third quarter were above analyst estimates.

Ebay, which has been seeing losses this year, was 5.8 percent higher at mid-session, to $27.32.

The oil sector declined as crude oil prices dropped again, as ConocoPhillips dropped 0.8 percent to $66.20 and Valero Energy declined by 2.7 percent to $61.30.

Retailer Sears Holdings was 4.2 percent lower to $143.77 even though it said its quarterly earnings had gone up by 83 percent. Investors were concerned about slowing sales.