The New York markets were lower in midday trade on Monday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.8 percent lower to 13,980.57, while the Nasdaq Composite had fallen 0.62 percent to 2,788.15 and the S&P 500 had dropped 0.69 percent to 1,551.

Investors were worried after Citigroup (NYSE: C) after it said that earnings were down by 57 percent in the third quarter.

Citigroup fell $1.33 to $46.54.

Medical devices manufacturer Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) was $7.08 lower to $49.25 on the news that it has stopped selling its Sprint Fidelis defibrillation leads after they were show to be defective.

Meanwhile, biotechnology group Biogen Idec (NAS: BIIB) added $14.40 to $83.83 after it said it might put itself up for sale after talking to potential bidders.

A little earlier in the session, Boeing (NYSE: BA; TYO: 7661) was down $1.46 to $95.24 after a broker downgrade from “outperform” to “market perform” on the possibility that the announced six-month delay in the delivery of the aerospace group’s 787 Dreamliner could stretch further.

A downgrade also sent house builders lower.

KB Home (NYSE: KBH) dropped $1.31 to $27.63 after UBS (NYSE: UBS; SWX: UBSN; TYO: 8657) dropped its recommendaton from “buy” to “neutral” and said that the housing market is not likely to recover until at least 2009.

Lennar Corp (NYSE: LEN) fell 49 cents to $23.71.

Wall Street was mixed in midday trade after bad news from Boeing, a forecast on home sales for the year that was revised downward, and warnings from more than one company.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.74 percent lower to 14,060.32 as it lost nearly all of the 120 points it gained on Tuesday, while the S&P 500 dropped 0.37 percent to 1,559.4.

On the other hand, the Nasdaq Composite was slightly higher, up just 0.03 percent to 2,804.89.

Aerospace group Boeing (NYSE: BA; TYO: 7661) was $3.10 lower to $98.35 after it said that the first deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner aircraft will be delayed by half a year.

In the oil sector, Chevron (NYSE: CVX) dropped $1.89 to $90.92 after it said profits in the third quarter will be substantially below those in the previous quarter.

International Paper (NYSE: IP) was down 76 cents to $36.30 after it said it won’t earn as much as previously projected from land sales.

As the quarterly reporting period began, Alcoa (NYSE: AA) was fell $1.26 to $38.49 after it said that while profits were up by 3 percent, revenues in the quarter were lower.

There was good news, however, in the retail sector as Costco (NAS: COST) gained $5.26 to $68.70 on results that were better than had been anticipated.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Realtors issued a lowered forecast for the eighth time, saying that existing home sales will be down 10.8 percent from last year.

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.

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.

Wall Street was lower in afternoon trade Friday after the US Federal Reserve made two injections of cash into the market during the day, one of $19 billion, followed by $16 billion more.

These came on the heels of two separate cash additions into the market on Thursday, totaling $24 billion.

There is some sentiment that the Fed might issue an emergency interest rate cut in response to the current difficulties in the US markets, although some analysts believe the Fed will hold on until September’s scheduled meeting to issue a rate cut.

Others call a cut now “counterproductive”, saying it could weaken the dollar and cause more harm than good.

In early afternoon trade in New York the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 1.04 percent to 13,132.4, while the Nasdaq Composite had dropped 1 percent to 2,530.95 and the S&P 500 was 0.81 percent lower to 1,441.28.

Most of the financial services sector was lower, but Bank of America (NYSE: BAC; TYO: 8648) had added 14 cents to $48.49.

Citigroup (NYSE: C) had dropped 13 cents to $46.77, while JP Morgan Chase (NYSE: JPM; TYO: 8634) fell 33 cents to $43.85.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) was $1.36 lower to $60.45 and Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) had fallen $3.41 to $178.84.

Mortgage lender Countrywide Financial (NYSE: CFC) dropped $1.65 to $27.01 after saying in a regulatory filing on Thursday that the current trouble in the credit and subprime mortgage markets could hurt its short-term prospects.

Elsewhere, the aerospace sector was also lower.

Honeywell (NYSE: HON) was down $1.18 to $55.60, while Boeing (NYSE: BA; TYO: 7661) fell $1.43 to $96.87.

Among the few gainers in early afternoon trade were chipmaker Intel (NAS: INTC; SEHK: 4335), which had added 25 cents to $24.17.

In the computers sector, Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) was up 92 cents to $47.94 and IBM (NYSE: IBM) had gained $1.78 to $112.51.

ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) was up 65 cents to $84.25.

Wall Street was mixed in early afternoon trade in New York Tuesday as investors waited for the US Federal Reserve to issue its latest decision on interest rates before committing to anything serious.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.03 percent lower to 13,464.88, while the Nasdaq Composite had dropped 0.09 percent to 2,544.98 but the S&P 500 had added 0.19 percent to 1,470.52.

In addition to the expected rate decision, investors were also looking at new data from the Labor Department that showed productivity was up by 1.8 percent on an annualized basis in the spring quarter.

Among those reporting quarterly results, Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) added 40 cents to $18.30 even though it said profits were down in the second quarter.

Cisco Systems (NAS: CSCO; SEHK: 4333) dropped 13 cents to $29.37 ahead of a quarterly report that was due after the close of trade on the session.

Hurting the Dow were Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT), which was 42 cents lower to $80.58 and aerospace group Boeing (NYSE: BA), which fell $1.32 to $103.02.

Carmakers saw gains.

Ford Motor (NYSE: F) had added 6 cents to $8.25, while General Motors (NYSE: GM) was up 58 cents to $33.03.

Financial services were higher. Citigroup (NYSE: C) was 15 cents higher to $48.50 and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) added 40 cents to $48.56, while Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER; TYO: 8675) gained $1.28 to $75.83 and Goldman Sachs was $3.42 higher to $75.83.

Wall Street was higher in early afternoon trade on Monday as it tried to overcome last week’s declines.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 57.7 points to 13,324.6, while the Nasdaq Composite had added 9.8 points to 2,572 and the S&P 500 was 6.2 points higher to 1,465.

Home Depot (NYSE: HD) was the biggest gainer on the Dow, adding 79 cents to $37.54.

Rival home improvement retailer Lowe’s (NYSE; LOW) was up 38 cents to $28.15.

Elsewhere in the retail sector, drug store chain Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD) had gained 2 cents to $5.40, while discount retailer Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) was up 20 cents to $46.14.

Aerospace group Boeing (NYSE: BA) also helped the Dow as it added $2.12 to $105.83.

Some banks were higher.

JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) gained 6 cents to $44.29, while Citigroup (NYSE: C) was up 18 cents to $47.15, Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) had added 41 cents to $47.82, and Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) gained 69 cents to $34.25.

On the other hand, mortgage lender Countrywide Financial (NYSE: CFC) was 96 cents lower to $28.89.

American Home Mortgage Investment Corp (NYSE: AHM) had trading halted before the market opened after it fell $6.39, or 39 percent, to $10.47 in premarket trading after it delayed its quarterly dividend.

Friday it said it was “struggling” due to the crisis in the subprime sector.

Wall Street was higher in midday trade on Wednesday after an up-and-down morning on nerves from Tuesday’s declines and news that existing home sales were down by 3.8 percent in June.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.38 percent higher at mid-session to 13,769.71 after gaining as much as 100 points at one point and losing up to 30 points at another in morning trade.

The Nasdaq Composite was 2,647.27, up 0.28 percent, while the S&P 500 had added 0.36 percent to 1,516.51.

There were notable gains, however.

Pharmaceutical group Merck (NYSE: MRK) added $1.61 to $53.33 after it said it would buy NovaCardia (NAS: NCAR), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical firm that specializes in cardiovascular disease.

In the aerospace sector, Boeing (NYSE: BA; TYO: 7661) gained $3.56 to $107.36 after it reported that it earned $1.35 per share in the second quarter, higher than the earnings of $1.16 per share that had been anticipated.

The internet sector was mixed after Amazon.com (NAS: AMZN) said that its earnings in the second quarter were 19 cents per share, up from 5 cents per share in the same quarter last year.

The report brought upgrades - from “neutral to “outperform” from Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS; SWX: CSGN) and from “accumulate” to “buy” from ThinkEquity, which also raised Amazon’s target share price from $80 to $105.

Amazon was up $17.75 to $87 in early afternoon trade.

Other gainers in the sector included Yahoo (NAS: YHOO), which gained 9 cents to $24.93 and eBay (NAS: EBAY), which was 56 cents higher to $33.62.

Google (NAS: GOOG; LSE: GGEA), however, dropped $3.99 to $510.01.

In early afternoon trade in New York on Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had added 0.34 percent to 13,657.53, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.08 percent to 2,668.52 and the S&P 500 was 0.07 percent higher to 1,531.51.

The gains came as the earnings season was about to get underway.

Mergers and acquisitions activity was in focus with a report that Apollo Management has raised its offer for chemicals group Huntsman (NYSE: HUN) to $28 per share.

Huntsman added 20 cents to $28.20.

FedEx (NYSE: FDX) gained 4.2 percent to $115.51 after a media report that private equity could be interested in making a bid.

Meanwhile, Boeing (NYSE: BA) was 92 cents higher to $99.80 in the wake of its unveiling over the weekend of its new aircraft, the Dreamliner 787.

Reports are that the aerospace group has received enough orders for the new plane that it is sold out until 2015.

Pharmaceutical and consumer products group Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) added $1 to $63.13 after its board approved a share buyback worth $10 billion.

Exchange operators were mixed on the expectation that shareholders in the Chicago Board of Trade (NYSE: BOT) are likely to approve a deal to merge with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (NYSE: CME).

While the Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE), which has also bid in for CBOT, added 46 cents to $156.55, CME dropped $4.29 to $570.51 and CBOT declined $1.60 to $222.40.

Wall Street equities markets were mixed at midday on Friday but looked poised to close higher for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.2 percent lower at noon to 12,646.20 but still 1.3 percent higher for the whole week. The Nasdaq Composite was 0.1 percent higher at mid-session at 2,470.93, a gain of 1.5 percent on the week, while the S&P 500 was even on the day so far but up 1.7 for the week at 1,445.75. The Russell 2000 index of mid-caps was 2.7 percent higher on the week at lunchtime, having breached the 800 level for the first time in its history.

Bids news was in focus. Bristol Myers Squibb added 9.4 percent over the week to $28.67 on bids talk, while newsprint producers Abitibi-Consolidated and Bowater announced that they would merge. The announcement sent Abitibi 20.4 percent higher to $3.18, while Bowater gained 24.3 percent to $27.53.

US Airways withdrew its bid for Delta Air Lines, which is currently in bankruptcy protection. The bid was rescinded after some of Delta’s unsecured creditors objected to the deal. US Airways added 10.3 percent on the week to $57.50, helped by a quarterly report that showed it had returned to profitability in the fourth quarter.

Earnings news also had an effect on the markets this week. Biopharmaceuticals company Gilead Sciences gained 13.2 percent over the week to $71 on a better than expected earnings report, while Boeing gained 5.9 percent on the week to $90.48. But just doing better than had been anticipated did not necessarily mean gains. While it gained 1.7 percent during the week, Amazon was 3.2 percent lower to $37.47 on concern over margins even though it beat estimates. Meanwhile, 3M dropped 6.1 percent to $73.92 even though it did better than expected when it said that slow growth in the world economy could hurt its results this year.