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 higher in early afternoon trade on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.84 percent to 13,617.78.

The Nasdaq Composite was 1.92 percent higher to 2,610.69, while the S&P 500 had added 1.15 percent to 1,493.72.

The gains came on comments from the Federal Reserve on Tuesday that it expects the US economy to continue to grow moderately and after Cisco Systems (NAS: CSCO; SEHK: 4333) said its profits were up by 25 percent in the most recent quarter and upped its revenue prediction for the full year.

Cisco gained $1.78 to $31.47 after it made its report.

Meanwhile, house builder Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL) said that revenues are down 21 percent in its preliminary third-quarter report and refused to provide an earnings guidance in what it called a volatile market.

Still, Toll Brothers added $1.06 to $24.01 because the declines weren’t as steep as analysts had expected them to be.

That, and a statement from KB Home (NYSE: KBH) that it had used cash on hand to repay $650 million in debt sent the sector higher.

KB added $3.36 to $36.42, while DR Horton (NYSE: DHI) was up $1 to $18.39, Pulte Homes (NYSE: PHM) was $2.46 higher to $22.84, and Centex (NYSE: CTX) gained $2.73 to $38.40.

Financial services also saw gains.

Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) added 70 cents to $34.97, Citigroup (NYSE: C) gained 88 cents to $49.47, and Bank of America was 94 cents higher to $49.61.

Meanwhile, Lehman Brothers was up $4.44 to $65.15, while Goldman Sachs added $5.55 to $196.80 and Bear Stearns was $7.35 higher to $124.24.

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.

The New York equities markets were mostly steady at midday. Both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 were even, at 12,211.43 and 1,394.66 respectively, while the Nasdaq Composite was 0.3 percent lower to 2,377.45. Shares in oil companies were higher as crude oil prices gained after new inventories reports showed that crude stockpiles fell by more than expected last week. Investor sentiment was hurt, however, by data showing that job growth in the private sector was not as robust as had been hoped.

In the oil sector, Chevron (NYSE: CVX) added 1.3 percent to $68.52, while ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) was 2.2 percent higher to $67.15. While crude oil inventories dropped significantly against expectations of an advance last week, most of the decline was due to bad weather on the US Gulf Coast and inventories are expected to rebound this week.

Computer related stocks were mixed. Internet search engine Google (NAS: GOOG; LSE: GGEA) was down 0.3 percent at midday to $456.18 even though UBS (NYSE: UBS; SWX: UBSN; TYO: 8657) issued an upgrade to “buy”, from “neutral” on the company’s shares. IBM (NYSE: IBM) was 0.3 percent higher to $94.12 but Cisco (NAS: CSCO; SEHK: 4333) dropped 1 percent to $25.69 on reports that the two companies were collaborating on software development projects.

In the retail sector, American Eagle Outfitters (NAS: AEOS) fell 3.8 percent to $28.69 after the clothing retailer did not meet earnings estimates. On the other hand, office supply retailer Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) added 2.1 percent to $34.35 on an upgrade from “hold” to “buy” from Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB).

Wall Street was mixed at mid-afternoon on Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.2 percent to 12,645.48, while the S&P 500 was even at 1,447.93 after gains early in the day reversed. The Nasdaq Composite was 0.6 percent higher to 2,486.12 on fiscal second quarter results from Cisco Systems, released after the close on Tuesday.

Cisco added 3.3 percent to $28.18 after it exceeded profits expectations and projected that sales will be strong this year. Its fiscal second quarter net income was at $1.9 billion and it said that it believes that third quarter revenues will be up by around 20 percent. In related sectors, chipmaker Broadcom was 5.3 percent higher to $33.69.

In the media sector, News Corp. added 1.6 percent to $24.53 even though profits were down in its fiscal second quarter. Revenue was up 18 percent, however, and successes with Borat and X-Men for its film division helped sales.

Health insurer Cigna added 2 percent to $139.93 after releasing a fourth-quarter report that showed profits up 10 percent and net income at $232 million, besting estimates by analysts.

Whirlpool dropped 3 percent to $92.02 on net profits that were down 13 percent for the year, with fourth-quarter profits below what had been anticipated.

The equities markets were mixed in New York at midday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.2 percent higher to 12,638.03, but the Nasdaq Composite had dropped 0.6 percent to 2,455.52 and the S&P 500 fell 0.2 percent to 1,443.95.

National Semiconductor dropped 4.3 percent to $22.31 after it reduced its guidance for its fiscal third quarter. It wasn’t the only decline in the sector, as 17 of the 19 companies listed on the Philadelphia Semiconductor index were lower on the session, taking the index 1.4 percent lower to 460.83.

Earnings reports were in focus. Avon Products, the cosmetics company, added 9.2 percent to $37.82 after it reported its first profit in six quarters. Net income was at $184.1 million, up from $183.2 million in the previous quarter. But Emerson Electric dropped 1.3 percent even though it reported that its profits were up by 12 percent in its fiscal first quarter. Duke Energy held steady at $20.28 despite reporting that its net income in the fourth quarter was down by 36 percent.

Cisco Systems dropped 1 percent to $27.24 ahead of its quarterly report, which was scheduled to be released after the end of the session. It is expected that it will report earnings that were 20 percent higher in the quarter.

Wall Street was mixed at noon on Tuesday as the earnings season prepares to get into full swing, with companies such as Apple, IBM, Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan and General Electric all scheduled to release their fourth-quarter reports this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.04 percent to 12,560.88, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.1 percent to 2,500.97. The S&P 500, meanwhile, was 0.02 percent higher to 1,431.01.

Homebuilders were lower. KB Home dropped 1.2 percent to $48.76, while Centex fell 2.8 percent to $51.68. The S&P homebuilders index dropped 2 percent.

Technology stocks were responsible for the decline in the Nasdaq. Cisco was 2.9 percent lower to $28.08 on broker downgrades, while Symantec fell 8.8 percent to $18.67 after it said that profits in 2007 will not rise to expected levels. The semiconductor sector also fell on negative news from brokers. Novellus Systems was down 2.2 percent to $32.03 and KLA-Tencor dropped 2.6 percent to $50.83. Intel, which was scheduled to issue its report after the close of trade Tuesday, was 0.5 percent lower to $22.02.

The banking sector saw gains, with Wells Fargo 2.3 percent higher to $36.33 on earnings of 64 cents per share in the fourth quarter.

In the transport sector, FedEx gained 2.7 percent to $111.77 as the Dow Transports Average gained 1.3 percent on the session so far and 5.7 percent since the beginning of the year.

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 higher at midday on Thursday, led by the Nasdaq Composite as it hit its highest mark in nearly six years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.7 percent higher to 12,526.59, while the S&P 500 added 0.8 percent to 1,425.69. The Nasdaq was up 1.1 percent, to 2,486.88.

In the internet sector, Yahoo added 2 percent to $29.27 and is up 14.6 so far in the new year. Ebay gained 3.1 percent to $30.21 on the news that it has bought sports ticket reseller StubHub for a cash price of $310 million.

Chipmaker Intel was up 1.9 percent to $21.92, going from the worst performer on the Dow in 2006 to its best so far in 2007, having gained 8.2 percent since the year began.

Apple Computer, however, was 0.7 percent lower to $96.28 after a gain of 13 percent since it announced its new iPhone product. The computer maker was hurt by a lawsuit filed by Cisco which claims that it, not Apple, owns the trademark on the name “iPhone”. Cisco added 1 percent to $28.97.

Despite crude oil prices that continue to decline, ExxonMobil added 1.5 percent to $72.08, but it has still dropped 5.7 percent since the beginning of the year.

In the pharmaceuticals sector, Genenetech was 4.3 percent higher to $87.36. The biotechnology company said that its earnings in the fourth quarter were at 61 cents per share, higher than predictions that it would post earnings of 56 cents per share.

Wall Street was down on Friday and both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 looked set to end the week down as well, although the Nasdaq Composite was likely to notch a gain for the week. The Dow had lost 0.7 percent by midday to 12,388.96, down 0.6 on the week despite hitting a new all-time high on Wednesday. The S&P was 0.8 percent lower on the session so far and 0.7 percent lower for the week at 1,407.94. While the Nasdaq was 1.1 lower over the session at midday, to 2,425.36, it was still up 0.4 percent on the shortened week.

The oil sector performed particularly badly as crude oil prices dropped over the week. Chevron was 4.4 percent lower to $70.32, while ExxonMobil dropped 5.6 percent to $72.34. ConocoPhillips was down 7.8 percent to $66.35 as it dropped its marketing and refining margins for the fourth quarter. Marathon Oil fell 8.5 percent over the week to $84.60.

Homebuilders saw declines. KB Homes dropped 4.4 percent to $49.03. Lennar was 4.8 percent lower to $49.92 after it said it would probably see a loss in the fourth quarter.

Technology stocks did better for the most part, although Motorola dropped 7.8 percent on the week to $18.95 after it said that fourth quarter earnings would be below predictions due to slow mobile phone sales. Chipmaker Intel added 3 percent to $20.86. Cisco was up 3.1 percent to $28.19 on the announcement that it has bought an e-mail security company. Internet search engine Yahoo gained 7 percent to $27.32, while BMC Software added 7.6 percent to $34.65.

Home improvement retailers did not seem affected much by the drop in the home construction sector. While Home Depot held steady at $41.84 for the week, Lowes added 2.9 percent to $32.04.