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 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.

The New York equities markets were up at mid-session on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average reaching a new intra-day high of 11,786.49. By midday the Dow had settled to 11,779.29, a gain of 0.4 percent. The Nasdaq Composite was 1.1 percent higher to 2,267.39, while the S&P 500 had added 0.5 percent to 1,340.96.

Dropping commodities prices sent miners and oil-related stocks lower. Anadarko Petroleum was 2.1 percent lower to $40.24 after a downgrade from “buy” to “neutral” issued by Bank of America. Phelps Dodge dropped 3.1 percent to $77.57.

Among retailers, Wal-Mart declined 1.5 percent to $48.73 on same-store sales in September that were up 1.3 percent, against a predicted gain of 1.8 percent.

Technology related stocks were higher on the day, however. Nvidia, helped by rumors that Intel was considering a bid, added 6.5 percent to $30.13. Sandisk was up 3.6 percent to $55.23 after it said it will begin distributing its flash-memory products in India, starting with 2,000 outlets in the next few weeks and increasing that to 14,000 outlets by the end of next year. Software giant Microsoft gained 1.4 percent to $27.76, while internet auctioneer Ebay was 5.2 percent higher to $29.65.

The pharmaceuticals sector was mixed on the session. While ImClone was up 6 percent to $28.80 after it reported that it had received a bid last month, which it had rejected, from a major pharma group. On the other hand, Genentech dropped 1.6 percent to $82.50 after an analysts said that cancer-drug sales in the third quarter might have been below expectations.

Declines in the oil and mining sectors sent Wall Street lower by midday on Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Nasdaq Composite, and the S&P 500 were all 0.1 percent lower at mid-session, with the Dow at 11,384.27, the Nasdaq at 2,163.86, and the S&P down to 1,297.32.

Concerns that economic growth around the world could slow sent metals prices lower, hurting miners. Newmont Mining was off by 4.3 percent to $46.11 and Barrick Gold was 4.5 percent lower to $29.97, while Freeport McMoran dropped 4.9 percent to $55.44 and Phelps Dodge fell 5.4 percent to $86.16.

Steelmakers were also hurt by dropping commodities prices. US Steel was 4 percent lower to $57.65 and Nucor dropped 5 percent to $47.19. Aluminium producer Alcoa also saw declines, falling 4.5 percent to $27.39.

Oil prices were down for the sixth straight session as OPEC declined to lower production levels and Iran agreed to temporarily halt its uranium enrichment activities. ExxonMobil was 2.5 percent lower to $65.17, while Chevron dropped 3.7 percent to $61.83. Ethanol manufacturer Archier Daniels Midland was also affected, falling 2.8 percent to $38.50.

Dell Computer was also lower at midday after it said it would suspend its share buyback and delay its quarterly report because financial regulators are looking at its records. Dell was 1.4 percent lower to $21.34. Also the victim of bad news, Genentech dropped 6.3 percent to $76.88 after it said that the Food and Drug Administration had asked for more information about the safety of its Avastin cancer drug before it would approve it for use by breast cancer patients.

The New York equities markets were lower at midday on Wednesday after the technology sector declined on a fine charged to Microsoft by European regulators. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 were each 0.3 percent lower, to 11,097.07 and 1,268.31 respectively. The Nasdaq Composite had dropped 0.8 percent to 2,112.71.

Microsoft was down 1.2 percent to $22.82, for a loss so far this year of 12.7 percent, after regulators in Europe fined the company $280 million for not abiding by an antitrust ruling handed down there in 2004. The loss by Microsoft took other tech stocks lower. Adobe Systems dropped 2.5 percent to $28.82, while Dell Computer declined by 3.4 percent to $22.63.

Losses in the semiconductor sector hurt the S&P, as Intel was down 2.1 percent to $18.28 and Nvidia fell 2 percent to $18.77. Sun Microsystems, however, defied trends to gain 2.8 percent to $4.01.

Data storage system manufacturer Network Appliance dropped 5.8 percent to $28.94, bringing its losses in the past two weeks to 16 percent.

In the biotechnology sector, the news was mixed. Genentech was down 3.1 percent to $81.47 even though it surpassed analysts expectations by notching a 79 percent increase in earnings in the second quarter. Despite the positive earnings report, investors worried about sales of the drug Avastin and the delay in obtaining approval for its use in treating breast cancer patients. On the other hand, Genzyme added 8.4 percent to $62.86 on the news that it expects to report a gain of 9 percent in quarterly earnings.

At midday on Wednesday, the New York equities markets had made back some of Tuesday’s losses, helped out by good news on the trade deficit and out of several corporations. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 11,123.24 by mid-session, a gain of 0.3 percent, and the S&P 500 had gained 0.1 percent to 1,287.15. The Nasdaq Composite, however, held steady at 2,310.07.

In the telecommunications sector, Motorola added 1.3 percent to $23.87 on an upgrade from Bear Stearns on the theory that the company would continue to increase its share of the market because of demand for its thin handsets.

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing was up 3.7 percent to $83.53 on a deal to sell 80 of its 737 jets to China. This was Boeing’s largest one-day increase in two months.

In the automobile manufacturing sector, General Motors added 2.2 percent to $19.65, also on news related to China. GM said that sales of it’s Chevrolet line in China will increase by at least 50 percent this year. Ford Motor also saw an advance on the day, by 1 percent to $7.24.

In the retail sector, Circuit City added 2.3 percent to $25.18 after is said that its fourth-quarter profits were up by 65 percent on Christmas sales of digital music players and flat-panel televisions.

Biotechnology group Genentech was down 1.1 percent to $80.84 despite a 48 percent rise in profits in the first quarter after ales of its drug Rituzan did not meet expectations.

Bosch & Lomb dropped 4.7 percent to $46.75, seeing declines for the second day in a row after having to withdraw its contact lens solution due to reports that some users had contracted fungal infections.