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.

The New York markets were up in early afternoon trade on Tuesday.

At just past 1 p.m. local time the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.43 percent higher to 13,415.21, while the Nasdaq Composite ha added 1.2 percent to 2,627.62 and the S&P 500 was up 0.9 percent to 1,4878.2.

The automobile manufacturing sector was higher even though Ford Motor (NYSE: F) said that sales were 14.4 percent lower in August, worse than the 13.2 percent decline that analysts had anticipated.

Car sales were down 33.7 percent while truck sales were 2.4 percent lower overall.

Still, Ford was up 9 cents to $7.90, while General Motors added 40 cents to $31.14.

A little earlier, at midday, the semiconductors sector was up on an upgrade for Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) and on a report from the Semiconductor Industry Association that said global chip sales were up 2.2 percent in July.

AMD was 29 cents higher to $13.29 after Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS; NYSE: CSGN) raised its recommendation on the chipmaker from “underperform“ to “neutral“.

Intel (NAS: INTC; SEHK: 4335) had gained 55 cents to $26.30, while Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) added $1.14 to $35.38.

Apple (NAS: AAPL) added $4.96 to $143.44 on a report that its iPhone sold better than all other smart phones in the US in July.

In the internet sector, Yahoo (NAS: YHOO) was up $1.31 to $24.04 after Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC) named it a top pick.

Wall Street was higher in early afternoon trade on Thursday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.51 percent higher to 13,988.95, while the Nasdaq Composite had added 0.81 percent to 2,721.3 and the S&P 500 was up 0.43 percent to 1,552.85.

Earnings news was in focus as IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Juniper Networks (NAS: JNPR) both reported.

IBM said that second quarter profits were up with help from its software division and services business.

It also raised its profit forecast for this year, sending shares up $4.74 to $115.82.

Network equipment manufacturer Juniper, meanwhile, also said profits rose in the second quarter and upped its earnings outlook for the full year, adding $3.24 to $29.97.

Elsewhere in the computer sector, Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) added $1.57 to $48.71.

Google (NAS: GOOG; LSE: GGEA), Microsoft (NAS: MSFT), and Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) were all scheduled to report after the close of trade on Thursday.

Google was $2.30 lower to $547.20, but Advanced Micro Devices was up 27 cents to $15.73 and Microsoft had added 57 cents to $31.49.

The internet sector was lower.

Ebay (NAS: EBAY) was down 53 cents to $33.52 after it did not change its full-year outlook. Meanwhile, Yahoo (NAS: YHOO) dropped 14 cents to $26.06.

The New York equities markets were lower at midday on Friday and seemed determined to close out the week with losses as well. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.3 percent at mid-session to 12,468.11, down 0.8 percent on the week and even on the year. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.2 percent on the day so far, to 2,437.99, leaving it 0.5 percent lower for the week. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 was 0.1 percent lower to 1,421.85, a drop of 0.6 percent for the full week.

Technology stocks were mixed during the week, with most showing either big gains or big losses. Among gainers were Sun Microsystems and Texas Instruments. Texas Instruments gained 8.7 percent to $30.86 on a glowing quarterly report, while Sun was 9.5 percent higher to $6.32. Decliners included biotech company Amgen, down 3.8 to $71.41 on a report that did not meet expectations., and Advanced Micro Devices, which fell 8.9 percent to $16.15, again on unmet expectations.

In the internet sector, Yahoo added 2.7 percent over the week to $28.38, a gain of 11 percent since the beginning of the month. Meanwhile, eBay did better than expected in earnings and upped its guidance for this year. The online auctioneer added 8.2 percent this week to $32.09.

Automobile manufacturers were mixed. General Motors added 4.1 percent during the week, to $32.84 even though it dropped from its peak of $33.30 after it said it would delay its fourth quarter report even though it expected that the report would show a profit. On the other hand, Ford dropped 0.5 percent to $8.26 after it said it had taken a loss of $12.7 billion in 2006, the biggest yearly loss in the company’s history.

Wall Street was up at midday on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average 0.32 percent higher to 12,573.46, the Nasdaq Composite up 1.09 percent to 2,457.80, and the S&P 500 adding 0.41 percent to 1,433.79. Positive earnings reports from both Yahoo and Sun Microsystems helped the gains, while the previous evening’s State of the Union address from President George W. Bush didn’t seem to have much impact at all on investors’ activities.

After Mr. Bush proposed an expansion in health care coverage in the speech last night, health benefits insurer Aetna dropped 47 cents to $41.71. In a related sector, drug maker Pfizer added 22 cents to $26.59.

ExxonMobil dropped 22 cents to $74.26 after an announcement of higher crude oil, gasoline, and distillate inventories again last week. Alternative energy producers were lower as well, after posting gains before the president’s address. Ethanol maker Xethanol Corp. dropped 17 cents to $2.90, while Archer Daniels Midland fell $1.06 to $31.57.

Sun Microsystems added 43 cents to $6.09 after increased revenues gave the manufacturer of server and storage products its first quarterly profit in several years. Meanwhile, Yahoo gained $2.03 to $28.99 on fourth quarter profits that were higher than had been anticipated. But Advanced Micro Devices dropped $1.39 to $16.12 reported losses in the fourth quarter, which were blamed on flat sales of server chips.

The New York equities markets were lower on Monday on interest rate concerns, as well as on investor reaction as companies begin to release their quarterly reports.  At midday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.8 percent lower to 12, 463.87, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1 percent to 2,427.37 and the S&P 500 fell 0.6 percent to 1,422.24.

The semiconductors sector was lower, sending the Philadelphia semiconductor index down by 1.5 percent and hurting the Nasdaq.  After a report that Sun Microsystems is thinking about using chips from Intel as well as from Advanced Micro Devices, Intel dropped 0.1 percent to $20.84, while AMD fell 2 percent to $17.37.  Sun added 0.1 percent to $5.78.

The Dow was hurt after Boeing dropped 3.3 percent to $85.69 after Wachovia reduced its recommendation on the aircraft manufacturer from “outperform” to “market perform”.  The Dow also suffered after pharmaceutical company Pfizer fell 1.4 percent to $26.83 after it released its earnings report, which was helped by the sale of its consumer health unit to Johnson & Johnson for $16.6 billion in December.

Citigroup, also listed on the Dow, added 0.9 percent to $54.98 on the announcement that it will purchase ABN Amro’s mortgage division for around $3 billion.  In addition, the bank said that its chief financial officer will leave that position to take the post as chairman and chief executive of its global wealth management division.

Wall Street saw gains in early afternoon trade on Friday, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average was once again in record territory after having closed at a new high on Thursday. The Dow was 0.31 percent higher to 12,553.27, while the Nasdaq Composite added 0.60 percent to 2,499.67 and the S&P 500 gained 0.48 percent to 1,430.64. The Russell 2000 index of small-caps had gained 0.52 percent to 792.52. Trade volumes were at 857.3 million shares trading hands so far on the session.

The trademark dispute between Apple Computer and Cisco Systems over who can use the name “iPhone” continued to affect share prices. Apple dropped $1.25 to $94.54, while Cisco was 21 cents higher to $28.90.

In the semiconductors sector, Advanced Micro Devices dropped $2.08 to $18.09 after it said that results will not meet expectations in the fourth quarter.

With oil prices slightly higher on the session, the oil sector saw gains. Murphy Oil Corp added 4 cents to $46.29 despite a warning from the refiner that profits will be lower than had been anticipated in the fourth quarter. ExxonMobil was 71 cents higher to $71.70, while ConocoPhillips gained $1.41 to $63.23.

US markets will be closed on Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

The New York equities markets were up at midday on Friday and looked ready to close the week out with gains as well. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.4 percent higher to 12,466.99, a gain of 1.3 percent on the week. Earlier in the session, the Dow was as high as 12,486.30, a new high. The Nasdaq Composite had added 0.5 percent so far on the day, to 2,466.12, a gain of 1.2 percent on the week. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 was up 0.3 percent to 1,430.11, 1.4 percent higher this week.

Airlines saw gains during the week. United Air Lines and Continental Airlines both gained share value on the news that United is talking to Continental about a merger. United added 4.8 percent to $45, while Continental gained 7.1 percent to $44.96. Meanwhile, Midwest Airlines was 27.8 percent higher to $11.82 after rejecting an offer from AirTran Holdings.

In the semiconductors sector, Advanced Micro Devices added 6.7 percent to $22.34 after it said that it expected demand to rise by 10 percent next year.

Microsoft added 2.4 percent to $30.12, the first time its share price rose above $30.12 since November 2004. Elsewhere in the software sector, Adobe added 10.3 percent during the week to $42.89 on a fourth-quarter report that was better than had been expected.

Losers included Best Buy, which dropped 4.8 percent to $50.60 on a downgrade from Prudential Securities.

Some securities brokers also saw declines. Lehman Brothers dropped 1.4 percent to $75.98 and Goldman Sachs fell 1.8 percent to $201.32. The sector was mixed, however, with Bear Stearns adding 2.6 percent to $1.63.

The New York equities markets were mixed at midday on Thursday on news from corporate earnings reports and new data from the Philadelphia Fed that showed its manufacturing index down 0.7 percent in October when an advance had been predicted. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.15 percent higher to 12,011, while the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.1 percent to 2,339.57 and the S&P 500 was just 0.01 percent lower to 1,365.

Among gainers on the day were Apple Computer, which added 6.35 percent to $79.26 on higher net income on sales of both Macintosh computers and iPod music players. Also up were Yahoo, 1.1 percent higher to $23.24 and UPS, which added 4.23 percent to $75.54 on higher earnings. AT&T was up 2.9 percent to $33.89 on an upgrade from Lehman Brothers.

The semiconductors sector was significantly lower. Cypress Semiconductor was 9.1 percent lower to $17.24 on the announcement that is no longer thinking of selling. Advanced Micro Devices dropped 10.4 percent to $21.72 after it said Wednesday that its gross margins were down. AMD added, however, that it expects higher demand and sales in the fourth quarter. Intel declined a lesser 1.1 percent to $20.88 on quarterly earnings that were lower.

Other losers on the session included McDonalds, down 1.4 percent to $40.90 despite meeting its revised guidance. Citigroup dropped 0.8 percent to $49.79 on lower net income in its third quarter. In addition, General Electric was down 0.9 percent to $35.56 on the news that its NBC Universal entertainment unit will make cost-cutting moves.

The New York equities markets were lower at midday on Thursday as the recent rally seemed to have run out of steam. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.2 percent lower to 11,667.06 after reaching 11,724.86 earlier in the session. The Nasdaq Composite had also dropped 0.2 percent to 2,255.72, while the S&P 500 had fallen 0.1 percent to 1,334.80.

In the semiconductors sector, Advanced Micro Devices and Nvidia were both lower as ThinkEquity lowered its recommendation on both from “buy” to “sell”. AMD was 2.1 percent lower to $24.80, while Nvidia declined 2.9 percent to $29.27.

Automakers were higher. General Motors gained 1.4 percent to $32.73 when Kirk Kerkorian said he was interested in purchasing 12 million more shares in GM. His Tracinda investment group already owns 10 percent of GM. Ford Motor added 2.3 percent to $32.73 on the announcement that its European division will likely see profits this year.

Discount retailers Family Dollar dropped 3.2 percent to $28.03 even though its earnings in the fourth-quarter were higher than had been expected. The declines came when the company said September sales will probably be lower than estimated.

Time Warner declined 2.5 percent to $25.15 on a downgrade from “overweight” to “neutral” by JPMorgan.