The New York equities markets were higher at noon on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average 0.9 percent higher to 12,176.54, while the Nasdaq Composite was up 2.3 percent to 2,384.64 and the S&P 500 had added 1.1 percent to 1,378.94.

Defense companies that saw losses right after Tuesday’s elections regained some of those declines later in the week but still ended the week below their starting levels. Raytheon fell 0.2 percent during the week to $48.90, while Lockheed Martin dropped 1 percent to $86.10 and Northrop Grumman was 1.8 percent lower to $64.73.

Health sectors were affected by the elections on concerns that their prices could be driven down by decisions from the new Democratic majority in Congress. Among the pharmaceuticals companies, Johnson & Johnson fell 3 percent to $65.80, while Pfizer declined 3.7 percent to $25.58 and Merck ended the week 4.9 percent lower to $42.88.

Wal-Mart was 2.2 percent lower on the week to $46.49 on the fears of investors that the new Congress could raise the minimum wage and move to regulate labor more closely.

Homebuilders saw declines as the housing market continued to suffer. Toll Brothers dropped 2.3 percent to $27.59, while DR Horton fell 2.4 percent on a downgrade from Merrill Lynch and Pulte Homes was 2.6 percent lower to $29.32.

Gainers on the week included Four Seasons Hotels, which added 28.3 percent to $81.97 after a private consortium of bidders offered $3.7 billion for the luxury hotel group. OSI Restaurant Partners was 21.6 percent higher to $39.45 after it accepted a $3 billion private bid.

Equities markets were higher at midday on Monday in New York. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.75 percent higher to 12,076.41, while the Nasdaq Composite was up 1.3 percent to 2,361.12 and the S&P 500 had added 0.9 percent to 1,376.69.

Four Seasons Hotels was 30 percent higher to $83.01 on a $3.7 billion bid by a group which includes current Four Seasons chairman and chief executive Isadore Sharp, Microsoft’s Bill Gates, and a Saudi Arabian prince. The bid works out to $82 per share in cash, 28 percent higher than last week’s closing share price.

In other bids news, this time in the pharmaceuticals sector, Abbott Laboratories said it will purchase Kos Pharmaceuticals for $3.7 billion cash, or $78 per share, 56 percent higher than Kos’ Friday close. Kos added 54 percent to $76.99 but Abbot dropped 0.08 percent to $47.60. Elsewhere in the sector, however, biopharmaceuticals company Adolor dropped 44 percent to $7.80 on the news that the Food and Drug Administration has asked for more testing on a new drug that had been expected to gain approval this week.

Home improvement retailers were lower on the session. Home Depot fell 0.75 percent to $36.92 on a downgrade from UBS due to the weaker housing market. Rival Lowes dropped 0.8 percent to $28.81.