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.

Wall Street was higher in early afternoon trade Wednesday even though the dollar remained weak and oil prices hovered in record high territory.

Investors expect that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates when it meets next week, but comments from some Fed officials have indicated that such a rate cut is not a certainty and even if the cut does come many investors worry that a quarter-point decline will not be enough to help the market’s current problems.

At early afternoon in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.03 percent higher to 13,311.97, while the Nasdaq Composite had added 0.26 percent to 2,604.31 and the S&P 500 was 0.12 percent higher to 1,473.28.

The Nasdaq was helped by Apple Inc (NAS: AAPL; LSE: ACP; FWB: APC), which added $2.51 to $138.01 after UBS (NYSE: UBS; SWX: UBSN; TYO: 8657) upped its target share price on the computer, iPod and iPhone maker from $175 to $182.

The tech-heavy index was also up on gains for medical device maker Cardica Inc (NAS: Cardica), which was $1.57 higher to $10.21 on European approval of a device used in heart bypass surgery.

Elsewhere among technology stocks, Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) dropped 41 cents to $35.31 on an altered earnings estimate in its fiscal third quarter.

Countrywide Financial (NYSE: CFC), meanwhile, dropped 37 cents to $16.51 on the news that employees are suing the mortgage lender because, they claim, the value of their retirement accounts dropped with the company’s stock decline during the current subprime crisis.

Wall Street was lower in early afternoon trade after Janet Yellen, president of the San Francisco Fed said in a speech that interest rate policies should not be used to bail out investors even though market upheavals could hurt the economy, causing investors to worry that interest rates might not drop this month, as many had assumed.

Analysts said that if the Fed does not reduce rates the markets could see a major sell-off.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.38 percent lower to 13,064.04, while the Nasdaq Composite had dropped 0.63 percent to 2,549.43 and the S&P 500 was down 0.63 percent as well, to 1,444.37.

House builders saw major declines after Moody’s Investors Services said that the housing slump will likely last at least until 2009.

Hovnanian Enterprises (NYSE: HOV) was down 5.3 percent to $10.01 after its target share price was cut from $20 to $8 by JMP Securities in the wake of last week’s reported third-quarter losses.

Other declines in the sector included KB Home (NYSE: KBH), which was 4.7 percent lower to $26.62.

Pulte Homes (NYSE: PHM) dropped 3.1 percent to $15.02, Lennar (NYSE: LEN) fell 2.9 percent to $25.74, and Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL) was down 2.4 percent to $19.85.

Mortgage lender Countrywide Financial (NYSE: CFC) was 5.4 percent lower to $17.22 after Friday’s report that it will cut up to 12,000 jobs in an effort to rise above the sector’s problems and after it said it believes new mortgages will fall by 25 percent next year.

Gainers on the day included Apple (NAS: AAPL; LSE: ACP; FWB: APC), which added 2.7 percent to $135.20 on the news that it sold its 1 millionth iPhone Sunday.

At midday in New York on Wednesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 1.17 percent lower to 13,291.89.

The Nasdaq Composite had fallen 0.69 percent to 2,612.19, while the S&P 500 was down 1.14 percent to 1,472.48.

The declines came on a report from the National Association of Realtors that pending sales of existing homes were at the lowest level in almost six years and ahead of the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book report on economic conditions around the US, due later in the day.

In addition, retailers will report on August sales on Thursday.

Warehouse retailer Costco (NAS: COST) has already reported, saying that August same-store sales were up 2 percent, less than expected.

Costco’s shares dropped $3.16 to $58.45.

Mattel (NYSE: MAT) was 57 cents lower to $21.40 after yet another recall - the third in just over a month - of toys made in China, again due to the use of lead-based paints.

In the aerospace sector, Boeing (NYSE: BA; TYO: 7661) added 51 cents to $96.43 after it announced that a Russian airline had ordered 22 of its 787 Dreamliners in a deal worth $3.6 billion.

Apple was up 34 cents to $144.53 on an expected announcement that it will make upgrades to its iPod media players.

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 mixed Thursday, with the Nasdaq higher but the Dow and S&P in decline.

By the end of the session, the Nasdaq managed to hold on to some gains, ending 0.08 percent higher to 2,565.30, while the Dow ended 0.38 percent lower to 13,238.73 and the S&P 500 closed at 1,457.64, a decline of 0.42 percent.

Research in Motion (NAS: RIMM; TSX: RIM), maker of the BlackBerry, added $1.05 to close at $82.87 on new rumors that Microsoft (NAS: MSFT) could be interested in making a bid. Microsoft dropped 14 cents to $28.45.

Cisco Systems (NAS: CSCO) closed up 43 cents to $31.43, while IBM (NYSE: IBM) gained 80 cents to $115.37 and Apple (NAS: AAPL) was up $2.17 to $136.25.

In the retail sector, Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) dropped 87 cents to close at $43.32 after Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER; TYO: 8675) used worries about operating margins to cut its recommendation on the discount retailer from “neutral” to “sell”.

Home improvement retailers, however, were higher on the session. Lowe’s (NYSE: LOW) was up 12 cents to $30.27, while Home Depot (NYSE: HD) added 49 cents to $37.04.

The New York equities markets were lower in early afternoon trade on Monday after new data showed existing home sales dropped and inventories were higher in July.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.22 percent lower to 13,349.93, while the Nasdaq Composite had dropped 0.49 percent to 2,564.19 and the S&P 500 fell 0.63 percent to 1,469.99.

The National Association of Realtors said that existing home sales were 0.2 percent lower in July, while inventories were up by 5.1 percent to 4.59 million homes, a new record.

In addition, home prices were down in July for the 12th consecutive time, by 0.6 percent from a year ago to a median price of $230,200.

Sales were up in the West and Northeast but were static in the South and down by 2.2 percent in the Midwest.

Meanwhile home improvement retailer Home Depot (NYSE: HD) added 61 cents to $35.29 after it reached a deal to sell its wholesale unit to a consortium of three private equity firms at a price that was lower than originally planned and requires Home Depot to guarantee $1 billion of the debt the buyers will assume to close the deal.

In other deal news, Taiwan computer manufacturer Acer (TSEC: 2353; LSE: ACID) will pay $170 million for Gateway Inc (NYSE: GTW).

Gateway added 60 cents, or 49 percent, to $1.80.

Elsewhere in the computer sector IBM (NYSE: IBM) added 52 cents to $113.76, but Dell (NAS: DELL; SEHK: 4331) fell 4 cents to $27.70, Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) dropped 7 cents to $48.03 and Apple (NAS: AAPL; LSE: ACP; FWB: APC) was down $1.66 to $133.64.

Wall Street was higher in early afternoon trade Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average 0.36 percent higher to 13,413.01.

The Nasdaq Composite had added 0.62 percent to 2,569.81, while the S&P 500 was up 0.21 percent to 1,468.94.

In the media sector Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIAb), which owns MTV
and Nickelodeon cable channels and Paramount Pictures, added 1.8 percent to $38.69 on a quarterly report that was better than had been anticipated.

Pharmacy chain CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) also issued a better than expected report and gained 3.6 percent to $45.54.

Microsoft (NAS: MSFT) gained 1.1 percent to $29.61 on the announcement that is renewed a font licensing agreement with Apple (NAS: AAPL; LSE: ACP; FWB: APC), which was 0.16 percent higher to $135.21.

In mergers and acquisitions news, Fiserv Inc (NAS: FISV) added 0.5 percent to $49.41 on the news that it will purchase electronic payment company CheckFree Corp (NAS: CKFR), which was 24 percent higher to $45.54.

Banks were slightly higher, with Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) adding 0.15 percent to $47.70 and Citigroup (NYSE: C) gaining 0.71 percent to $46.64.

But Accredited Home Lenders Holding Co (NAS: LEND) dropped nearly 40 percent to $4.97 after the subprime lender said it might not be able to stay in business.

Wall Street suffered big losses in early afternoon trade on Thursday.

At just past 1:30 p.m. in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 290 points, or 2.11 percent, to 13,494.46, while the Nasdaq Composite had lost 2.32 percent to 2,586.65 and the S&P 500 was 2.35 percent lower to 1,482.47.

The declines were largely fallout from more bad news on the housing market and on higher oil prices.

The Commerce Department released new data showing that new home sales were down 6.6 percent in June to an annualized rate of 834,000 units.

Homebuilders declined on the new figures.

DR Horton (NYSE: DHI) was 3.03 percent lower to $16.95, while Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH) was down 11.21 percent to $15.13 and WCI Communities Inc (NYSE: WCI) had fallen 20.67 per cent to $8.98 by early afternoon.

Banks were also lower, feeling the effect of the ongoing concerns over the subprime mortgage sector.

Bank of America (NYSE: BAC; TYO: 8648) was down 80 cents to $47.13, while JP Morgan Chase (NYSE: JPM; TYO: 8634) dropped $1.51 to $43.76, Citigroup (NYSE: C) was $1.95 lower to $47.26 and Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER; TYO: 8675) fell $3.57 to $74.53.

At the same time of day there were a few gainers.

Ford Motor (NYSE: F) had added 25 cents to $8.22 on a report that it had returned to profit in the second quarter, while consumer goods group Procter & Gamble (NSYE: PG) was 52 cents higher to $63.50.

On the Nasdaq, Amazon.com (NAS: AMZN) was 16 cents higher to $86.34, while Apple (NAS: AAPL) had gained $8.09 to $145.35.

Because of the big losses on the day, the New York Stock Exchange imposed trading curbs aimed at stopping large-block sales when shares are falling.

The New York equities markets were lower at midday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.69 percent lower to 13,858.80, while the Nasdaq Composite had dropped 0.54 percent to 2,676.18 and the S&P 500 was down 0.69 percent to 1,530.96.

Part of the declines came as quarterly reports disappointed.

In the chemicals sector, DuPont (NYSE: DDPRA, DDPRB, DD) reported that profits did not grow in the second quarter even as sales were better overseas.

DuPont had dropped $2.96 to $50.30 by mid-session.

Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) fell $1.32 to $36.86 as it reported profits lower than the same time last year.

Fast food chain McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) was 33 cents lower to $52.17 after it reported a losing quarter on a charge growing out of its sale of Latin American outlets.

AT&T (NYSE: T) was 18 cents higher to $40.21 after it said that its earnings were up by 61 percent in the second quarter, but reported that fewer Apple iPhone numbers than had been anticipated were activated following the new phone’s release.

Apple (NAS: AAPL) dropped $3.88 to $139.82 on the news of fewer iPhone activations and ahead of its quarterly report, due on Wednesday.

Companies exposed to bad loans were lower.

American Express (NYSE: AXP) dropped $1.94 to $62.72 after it reported an increase in write-downs on bad loans in the second quarter.

Meanwhile, mortgage lender Countrywide Financial (NYSE: CFC) fell $3.08 to $30.98 after it reported significantly lower profits in the second quarter and cut its earnings forecast.