Wall Street was mixed in midday trade, with the S&P 500 poised to close at an all-time high.

At mid-session, the S&P was up 0.1 percent to 1,548.47.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was also higher, up 0.1 percent as well to 13,881.64 after going as high as a new record of 13,910.26.

On the other hand, the Nasdaq Composite had dropped 0.2 percent to 2,695.09, but was still up 1.1 percent for the week.

Despite the decline for the Nasdaq, Google (NAS: GOG; LSE: GGEA) and Apple (NAS: AAPL; LSE: ACP; FWB: APC) were both higher on the day, each adding 0.8 percent to $549.88 and $135.14 respectively.

Earlier in the session, both reached new all-time high share prices, with Google rising as high as $552.56 and Apple peaking at $135.46.

Deals in the metals sector sent both Alcoa (NYSE: AA) and Alcan (TSX: AL; NYSE: AL) higher on the week after Alcoa withdrew its bid for Alcan after Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) submitted a higher bid.

With an announcement that it was resuming its suspended stock buyback program, Alcoa was trading at $47.39 on Friday, up 13.8 percent on the week.

There were also rumors that BHP Billiton (LSE: BLT; ASX: BHP; NYSE: BHP) could be readying a bid for Alcoa.

Meanwhile, Alcan added 12.9 percent on the week to trade at $97.65 at mid-session on Friday.

Manufacturer Energizer (NSYE: ENG) gained 9.7 percent on the week to $109.82 and Playtex (NYSE: PYX) was up 21 percent to $10 after Energizer said it would purchase Playtex, which manufactures consumer goods.

ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) was 4.8 percent higher to $90.57 on higher oil prices after it had set a new record high of $90.77 during the week.

Equities markets in New York saw gains at midday on Thursday.

The Dow Jones Industrial average had added 1.2 percent to 13,739.47 after having reached a new high at 13,744.92 earlier in the session, while the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.9 percent to 2,674.8 and the S&P 500 gained 0.9 percent as well, to 1,532.81.

In the pharmaceuticals sector, Merck (NYSE: MRK) added 2.4 percent to $50.09 on a broker upgrade.

On the other hand, biotechnology group Genentech (NYSE: DNA) dropped 1.9 percent to $74.46 even though it said its earnings were up by 41 percent in the second quarter.

The retail sector was mixed ahead of data on June sales, which will be released on Friday, but most were higher at mid-session.

The main exception was Macy’s (NYSE: M), which dropped 3.5 percent to $39 after it said that sales were slower than had been expected and reduced its earnings outlook for the second quarter.

Elsewhere in the sector, Wal-Mart (NSYE: WMT) added 2.1 percent to $48.70 after it said sales were up by 2.4 percent. JC Penney (NYSE: JCP) gained 3.2 percent to $73.46, while Target (NYSE: TGT) was up 3.7 percent to $68.01.

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO) was 6.2 percent higher to $27.63 on a gain of 5.7 percent in same-store sales in June.

Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF) added 7.5 percent to $74.59.

Alcan (TSX: AL; NYSE: AL) was 10.6 percent higher to $99.05 after miner Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) offered $38.1 billion in cash for the aluminium producer.

Rival Alcoa (NYSE: AA), which had also bid for Alcan but had that offer rejected, was up 7.4 percent to $45.55.

Bucking the global trend to losses on the session, Wall Street was higher at mid-day.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.46 percent to 13,564.21, while the Nasdaq Composite had added 0.38 percent to 2,649.17 and the S&P 500 gained 0.47 percent to 1,517.15.

Mergers and acquisitions were in focus as rumors surfaced that Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL) could be interested in purchasing Anglo-Dutch consumer goods manufacturer Unilever (NYSE: UN; LSE: ULVR; Euronext: UNA).

Colgate added 19 cents to $65.96, while Unilever was $1.45 higher to $34.56.

Aluminium producer Alcoa (NYSE: AA) added 62 cents to $42.28, the biggest gain on the Dow, on talk that its bid for Alcan (NSYE: AL; TSX: AL) could be challenged by a competing bid from Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO).

Alcan was up to $42.23.

Fast food operator Yum Brands (NYSE: YUM) added $1.37 to $34.17 on an upgrade from “neutral” to “buy” from UBS (NYSE: UBS; SWX: UBSN; TYO: 8657).

Yum was scheduled to release its quarterly results after the close of trade on the day.

Also due to report at the end of the session was Genentech (NYSE: DNA), which was even at $74.85 around mid-session.

In the oil sector, Chevron (NYSE: CVX) added $1.22 to $90.22 after a statement released after Tuesday’s close that it expects its quarterly results to benefit from higher prices and refining margins.

The New York equities markets were higher this week despite declines for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq by afternoon on Friday. The Dow was up 1.3 percent for the week, to 112,748.26, while the Nasdaq had added the same percentage, to 2,490.13 despite dropping 0.2 percent on the session to mid-afternoon. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 was 1.1 percent higher for the week to 1,453.27.

The numbers were helped in the latter half of the week by Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke’s comments before the US Congress, where he said that the nation’s economy continues to grow although at a more modest rate than previously. Investor sentiment took a downturn on Friday, however, after new data showed that fewer new homes were built in January than had been anticipated.

The Commerce Department figures on homebuilding sent the S&P Homebuilders index 0.6 percent lower, and DR Horton saw its shares drop 0.9 percent to $28.04.

The Nasdaq was hurt by comments from Mircosoft chief executive Steve Ballmer that analysts’ estimates of revenues to be gained from its new Windows Vista operating system were “overly aggressive”. Microsoft dropped 2.4 percent to $28.77, having now lost a total of 6.8 percent since Vista was launched.

Alcoa was 6.1 percent higher to $34.56 on the news that BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto were preparing separate bids for the aluminium producer. The news helped rival aluminium group Alcan add 5.3 percent to $54.53.

Bids speculation also helped Anheuser-Busch, which gained 2 percent to $51.04 on a report that it is talking merger with Belgium’s InBev.

Afternoon trade on Monday saw the New York equities markets mixed as crude oil and commodities prices dropped and investors were still worried about inflation. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.3 percent to 11,342.25, but the Nasdaq Composite had declined 0.9 percent to 2,223.57 and the S&P 500 was 0.5 percent lower to 1,285.29.

With copper down 9 percent and the price of gold back below $700 per troy ounce, miners saw declines on the day. Newmont Mining fell 3.7 percent to $54.22, while aluminium producer Alcan was down to $52.98, a drop of 5.7 percent. Additionally, the price of crude oil was down almost 2 percent, which sent oil company ConocoPhillips down 3.5 percent to $62.92. Oilfield services company BJ Services lost 5.2 percent to $35.55.

Ethanol producer Archer Daniels Midland was also hurt by declining oil prices. ADM shares declined by 3.3 percent to $42.64.

In the retail sector, discounter Target lost 4.5 percent to $49.85, its lowest level in a year. Despite reporting that quarterly earnings were up 12 percent, investors were disappointed by lower gross margins.

Pharmaceuticals companies did better, with the sector as a whole up by 1.1 percent. Abbott Laboratories added 2.4 percent to $42.42, while Merck was up 1.5 percent to $34.79. The sector was helped by an announcement from AstraZeneca that it will purchase Cambridge Antibody Technology, a UK biotechnology company.

By mid-session on Tuesday, the New York equities markets were lower, at least partially due to crude oil prices that were up yet again. The Dow Jones Industrial Average had dropped 0.4 percent by midday to 11,095.95. The Nasdaq, hurt by lower prices in the semiconductors sector, had declined by 1 percent to 2,310.05. The S&P 500 was down 0.7 percent to 1,287.05.

The oil sector was higher on the surge in crude oil prices, with ConocoPhillips adding 1.4 percent to $67.60.

Higher commodities prices also helped aluminium producer Alcoa. The rise in metals prices were instrumental in a much higher than predicted 50 percent increase in profits in the first quarter. Also helping to send shares in Alcoa up 6.1 percent on the day to $34.83 were target share price increases for the company from Credit Suisse, Merrill Lynch, and Lehman brothers. Alcoa’s success also helped its rival, Alcan, to gain 1.7 percent to $51.36.

While the semiconductor sector as a whole was down 1.4 percent on the Amex, Micron Technology, the largest chipmaker in the US, added 1.7 percent to $15.16 after it released a better than expected quarterly earnings report.

Among banks, Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs both saw losses on the day after employees from both banks were charged by federal prosecutors with insider trading. Merrill Lynch dropped 1.1 percent to $78.06 and Goldman Sachs was down by 1.2 percent to $160.52.

Bosch & Lomb declined by 17 percent to $47.67 and was downgraded by several ratings agencies after the news that it has had to suspend shipments of its ReNu contact lens solution with MositureLoc after some uses of the product suffered fungal infections.

The New York equities markets were mostly down by early afternoon on Thursday despite gains in the telecommunications and metal-mining sectors. The Nasdaq Composite was about even after declines earlier in the day, at 2,338.64. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.6 percent to 11,153.18 on concerns in several sectors over interest rates. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 dropped 0.1 percent after gains earlier in the day to 1,301.15.

When Morgan Stanley upped its forecast on metals prices, miners and metal companies saw gains. Phelps Dodge added 5.4 percent to $81.21 on an upgrade from “equal-weight” to “overweight”. Upgrades also took aluminium companies Alcan and Alcoa up 0.5 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively, with Alcan trading at $46.76 and Alcoa’s shares selling at $30.91.

The mobile phone portion of the telecommunications sector saw advances after Nokia said it believes that global handset sales will go up 15 percent this year. It had previously put the sales estimate at 10 percent. Nokia added 4 percent on the news, to $21.02, while Motorola gained 1.8 percent to $23.17. Texas Instruments, which makes chips for mobile phones, was up 3.1 percent to $32.97. Qualcomm advanced by 0.8 percent to $51.13.

Internet company Google, added to the S&P 500 today, dropped 2.3 percent to $385.88 on the announcement that it will issue 5.3 million new shares in association with its addition to the index. Before today’s losses, Google had added 15.5 percent since Thursday.