Wall Street was lower in early afternoon trade on Friday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.1 percent lower to 13,898.88 at just past 1 p.m. in New York, while the Nasdaq Composite had dropped 0.22 percent to 2,703.63 and the S&P 500 was down 0.23 percent to 1,527.89.

The Commerce department reported that personal spending was up 0.6 percent in August, more than expected even though incomes were only 0.3 percent higher, less than had been anticipated.

Banks saw declines after the overnight rate banks charge each other to borrow money increased.

Citigroup (NYSE: C) fell 21 cents to $46.67, while Bank of America (NYSE: BAC; TYO: 8648) was down 37 cents to $50.23 and JP Morgan Chase (NYSE: JPM; TYO: 8634) was 53 percent lower to $45.68.

The oil sector also saw losses.

ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) dropped 24 cents to $92.73, while ConocoPhillips and Chevron each fell 32 cents, to $87.64 and $93.21 respectively.

The retail sector was mixed.

While discount retailer Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) added 17 cents to $43.78, home improvement retailer Home Depot (NYSE: HD) dropped 18 cents to $32.58.

Consumer electronics retailer Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) was down 36 cents to $45.84, while closeouts and overstocks retailer Big Lots (NYSE: BIG) was $1.16 lower to $29.94.

In early afternoon trade on Wall Street on Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.05 percent higher to 13,885.22, while the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.3 percent to 2,707.02 and the S&P 500 had gained 0.17 percent to 1,528.07.

House builders were mixed, with some seeing gains even though the Commerce Department reported that new home sales were down again in August, dropping 8.3 percent even though analysts had expected a decline of just around 4.6 percent.

In addition, KB Home (NYSE: KBH) reported that revenues were down 32 percent in the quarter ending 31 August.

Besides reporting losses in the quarter, the CEO of KB Home said that he sees the housing market continuing its decline into next year, with no sign of recovery yet in sight.

Still, just before 1 p.m. New York time KB had added 5 cents to $24.13.

At the same time, Centex (NYSE: CTX) was up 22 cents to $25.66 and D. R. Horton (NYSE: DHI) had gained 2 cents to $12.88.

On the other hand Lennar (NYSE: LEN) had dropped 56 cents to $21.70.

Elsewhere, oil refiners were lower after analyst comment that their earnings are likely to see declines in the third quarter.

The analyst, from Friedman, Billings, Ramsey, rated the sector at “market weight”.

Individually, he rated Valero (NYSE: VLO) at “outperform”, but its shares still were 82 cents lower to $67.44.

Frontier Oil (NYSE: FTO) was $1.05 lower to $42.22, while Holly Corp. fell $1.51 to $60.52, Sunoco (NYSE: SUN) was down $1.79 to $71.58, and Tesoro (NYSE: TSO) dropped $2.16 to $47.54.

Wall Street was higher in early afternoon trade on Wednesday as General Motors (NYSE: GM) and the United Auto Workers reached a tentative agreement in contract negotiations and the UAW called a halt to its two-day-old strike while the contract is being reviewed by the union.

The news of an agreement sent GM’s shares $1.68 higher to $36.10.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.6 percent to 13,861, while the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.81 percent to 2,705.3 and the S&P 500 gained 0.57 percent to 1,525.86.

The Commerce Department reported that durable goods orders were 4.9 percent lower in August, a bigger decline than the 3.5 percent than had been anticipated after orders rose by 6.1 percent in July.

Transportation equipment orders dropped 11.2 percent, with commercial aircraft orders down 41 percent and orders for motor vehicles and parts dropping 6.2 percent.

On the other hand, orders for military aircraft gained 43.2 percent.

Even without the decline in the transport sector, durable goods orders would still have declined by 1.8 percent.

Investment banks saw gains on conjecture that Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC) could be in talks to sell a minority share.

Bear Stearns added $4.01 to $118.25, while Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) gained $3.07 to $213.97 and Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) was up $1.42 to $62.79.

In the software sector, open-source software manufacturer Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) was $1 higher to $19.89 after it said profits in its fiscal second quarter were up by 59 percent.

At midday in New York on Tuesday, Wall Street was mixed.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.1 percent lower to 13,745.24 after falling even more earlier in the session, and the S&P 500 had dropped 0.34 percent to 1,512.61, but the Nasdaq Composite was 0.04 percent higher to 2,668.9.

The Conference Board reported that consumer confidence was at its lowest point in two years in September, while the National Association of Realtors reported that existing home sales were lower in August than they had been in five years.

House builder Lennar (NYSE: LEN) reported that revenues fell 44 percent in the third quarter and it lost $513.9 million in the quarter, sending shares $1 lower to $23.18.

The retail sector also saw declines after department store Target (NYSE: TGT) and home improvement retailer Lowe’s (NYSE: LOW) both reduced their full-year sales forecasts due to concerns about how much money shoppers will spend over the holidays.

Lowe’s was down $1.56 to $29.00, while Target was $2.54 lower to $61.77.

The declines came in the wake of a report last week from the National Retail Federation that said holiday sales will likely rise 4 percent this year, below the 10-year average of 4.8 percent.

In the pharmaceuticals sector, Bayer (FWB: BAY; NYSE: BAY; TYO: 4863) said it will delist its shares from the New York Stock Exchange, effective Thursday, and will instead offer its American depository shares on the over-the-counter market.

The drug maker said the move will save it over $21 million per year.

It will also deregister with the Securities and Exchange Commission, removing the requirement that it share its results and statements in the US.

Wall Street was higher in midday trade as investors remained enthusiastic about the interest rate cut issued by the Federal Reserve last week and ahead of home sales data and a regional manufacturing survey due later in the week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.14 percent to 13,839.94, while the Nasdaq Composite had added 0.53 percent to 2,685.51 and the S&P 500 was 0.71 percent higher to 1,526.46.

Carmakers were higher even though the United Auto Workers initiated a strike against General Motors (NYSE: GM).

GM gained 17 cents to $35.10, while Ford Motor (NYSE: F) was up 22 cents to $8.45 after its CEO said that it is talking with possible buyers for its Land Rover and Jaguar brands.

Technology shares were higher.

Apple (NAS: AAPL; LSE: ACP; FWB: APC) hit an all-time high of $149.85 and was trading $4.85 higher to $149 just past midday.

Internet search engine Google (NAS: GOOG; LSE: GGEA) also reached a new record high share price of $571.46 and was trading at $567.96 later in the session, a gain of $7.86.

Microsoft, meanwhile, was 83 cents higher to $29.48 ahead of the release of its “Halo 3” video game, due Tuesday.

Shares of solar power-related companies were higher as a solar power conference opened in Long Beach, California.

SunPower Corp (NAS: SPWR) added $2.14 to $86.01 on positive comment, while Power-One Inc. (NAS: PWER) gained 25 cents to $4.92 after it introduced a new photovoltaic inverter for large commercial solar systems.

New York markets were higher just after noon on Friday, helped by news from the tech and oil sectors.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.79 percent higher to 13,874.90, while the Nasdaq Composite had added 0.92 percent to 2,678.64 and the S&P 500 had gained 0.8 percent to 1,530.89.

Trade was light as some were celebrating the Yom Kippur holiday. Software maker Oracle (NAS: ORCL) was up 89 cents to $21.93, it’s best in six and a half years, on a report that profits were up by 25 percent in its fiscal first quarter and the sale of new software licenses had risen by 35 percent.

In the semiconductors sector, Texas Instruments (NSYE: TXN) gained $1.23 to $37 on an increased dividend and expanded share buyback program.

Internet search engine Google (NAS: GOOG; LSE: GGEA) added $7.96 to $560.79, a new record high.

Persistently high oil prices sent shares in oil companies higher.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), was 63 cents higher to $89.03, while Chevron (NYSE: CVX) gained 91 cents to $95.07 and ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) added 93 cents to $93.02.

Mixed quarterly reports sent Wall Street lower at midday on Thursday, despite Tuesday’s interest rate cut and a Labor Department report that showed that new unemployment claims were down by 9,000 last week.

There was little indication from Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke, in testimony before the House Financial Services Committee, of what if any further measures the Fed might take to further alleviate the repercussions from the credit crisis.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.13 percent to 13,797.35, while the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.18 percent to 2,661.71 and the S&P 500 was 0.27 percent lower to 1,524.96.

In the financial services sector, Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) gained $2.80 to $208.10 after it said its profits were up by 79 percent in the third quarter, a surprise considering the chaos in the subprime market.

While Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC) saw declines after it said its profits fell by 62 percent in the quarter, it added $3.13 to $118.77 after its CFO said that the worst of the losses seems to be behind it.

Elsewhere, electronics retailer Circuit City was $1.81 percent lower to $8.76 after it reported losses in the quarter.

Most airlines were lower as oil prices remained near record levels and Goldman Sachs issued a warning that the sector could be subject to competitive pressures and a tough economy.

Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) was $1.02 lower to $32.66, while Alaska Air (NYSE: ALK) dropped 96 cents to $24.27.

AMR (NYSE: AMR), the parent of American Airlines, fell 70 cents to $23.92.

Goldman Sachs cut its rating on both AMR and Alaska Air from “neutral” to “sell”.

On the other hand, the broker raised its recommendation on Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) from “sell” to “neutral”, sending Southwest’s shares 21 cents higher to $15.34.

Wall Street continued its advance after Tuesday’s bounce following the Fed’s rate cut announcement.

In midday trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had added 0.69 percent to 13,833.76 while the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.84 percent to 2,673.9 and the S&P 500 gained 0.83 percent to 1,532.36.

The Russell 2000 of small and mid-caps was 1.63 percent higher to 819.74.

The Labor Department said that the consumer price index was down 0.1 percent in August, while the core CPI was up 0.2 percent.

Neither figure was a surprise to analysts.

In a separate report, the Commerce Department reported new home construction down 2.6 percent in August, the third month in a row of declines.

Despite the drop in the building of new homes, D. R Horton (NSYE: DHI) added 44 cents to $15.74 and Pulte Homes (NYSE: PHM) gained 58 cents to $17.68, helped by the rate cut.

The Fed’s decision also aided mortgage lenders.

Countrywide Financial (NYSE: CFC) was up 95 cents to $20.83, also helped by a positive forecast from the lender’s CEO.

Commodities-related shares were higher as investors assumed that demand would rise following the interest rate cut.

Southern Copper Corp (NYSE: PCU) added 19 cents to $114.72, while Reliance Steel & Aluminum (NYSE: RS) was $1.17 higher to $56.45.

Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX) was $1.85 higher to $105.15, Unites States Steel (NYSE: X) gained $3.20 to $100.95, and US-traded shares of Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP; LSE: RIO; ASX: RIO) jumped $3.62 to $313.42.

Wall Street was higher in midday trade ahead of the Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates, due at mid-afternoon New York time.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.61 percent higher to 13,485.52, while the Nasdaq Composite added 0.55 percent to 2,595.83 and the S&P 500 gained 0.71 percent to 1,487.19.

The Labor Department reported that producer prices were down by 1.4 percent overall in August, while core inflation, which removes food and energy costs from the equation, was up 0.2 percent.

The overall decline was the biggest in 10 months, led by energy costs that were 6.6 percent lower.

Lehman Brothers (NYSE: LEH) added $1.72 to $60.34 after it said its profits in the third quarter were down by 3 percent compared to the same period last year, less of a drop than had been expected.

Also reporting was Best Buy (NYSE: BBY).

The consumer electronics retailer said its profits were up 8.7 percent, better than expected sending shares up 4.2 percent to $46.41.

Construction machinery maker Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) gained $1.38 to $75.07 after an analyst said that it would likely meet its goal of $3 billion sales in China by 2010.

General Motors (NYSE: GM) dropped 18 cents to $34.05 as talks with the United Auto Workers continued but the union told members that it might have to impose a deadline on negotiations if progress is not made in relation to several unresolved issues.

The union wants job security guarantees for workers in return for concessions on wages and a health care fund.

Microsoft (NAS: MSFT) dropped another 37 cents to $28.36 on the EU court ruling that went against the software company on Monday.

Boeing (NYSE: BA; TYO: 7661) was $1.57 lower to $97.07 after Banc of America (NYSE: BAC; TYO: 8648) dropped its target share price on the aerospace group from $131 to $114 on developments risks in relation to its 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

Wall Street was lower in midday trade on Monday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.4 percent to 13,389.36, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.9 percent to 2,578.74 and the S&P 500 was 0.66 percent lower to 1,474.52.

Investor uncertainty ahead of tomorrow’s interest rate decision from the Federal Reserve and before several brokers release their quarterly results later in the week.

Brokerages declined ahead of results, with Lehman Brothers (NYSE: LEH) 87 cents lower to $58.64.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) dropped $1.75 to $64.36, Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER; TYO: 8675) was down $2.10 to $72.55, and Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) fell $3.32 to $187.27.

Most chipmakers were lower on the session.

The main exception was Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD), which added 10 cents to $12.79 by midday after an upgrade to “neutral” from “underweight” from JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM; TYO: 8634).

Texas Instruments (NSYE: STM) dropped 1 cent to $34.67, while Intel (NAS: INTC; SEHK: 4335) was 9 cents lower to $24.84. Broadcom (NAS: BRCM) fell 70 cents to $34.80, while US-traded shares of STMicroelectronics (NSYE: STM; Euronext: STM) were down 58 cents to $16.11.

After a European Union court dismissed Microsoft’s (NAS: MSFT) appeal of a EU antitrust ruling and upheld the fine issued with the ruling, the software giant dropped 37 cents to $28.67.