Even though more corporations issued positive quarterly reports, Wall Street was lower at midday on Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.4 percent lower to 12,570.66, while the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.7 percent to 2,449.10 and the S&P 500 had dropped 0.57 percent to 1,431.92. The Russell 2000 index of small-caps dropped 0.82 percent to 787.55.

Investor sentiment was not helped by a new report from the National Assoication of Realtors that existing homes sales dropped by 0.8 percent in December. The inventory of existing homes for sale also fell, however, by 7.9 percent to 3.51 million. In addition, the Labor Department said that new jobless claims grew last week at their highest rate in 16 months.

Quarterly reports were released by companies in a number of sectors. Online auctioneer Ebay added $2.88 to $32.88 after it said its profits were up by 24 percent and sales grew by 29 percent in its most recent quarter. Nokia reported that profits were up by 19 percent, gaining 79 cents to $21 on the session so far. AT&T gained 26 cents to $36.89 on profits that were up 17 percent on more wireless subscribers.

Even though Ford Motor said it withstood its largest annual loss ever amid declining sales, the carmaker added 10 cents to $8.30 as investors were relieved that the news wasn’t worse.

Lockheed Martin added 81 cents to $91.95 on a quarterly report that showed earnings up by 28 percent on growth in its military hardware division. The defense contractor raised its full-year forecast on the basis on the new figures.

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.

The New York equities markets were lower during the day on Wednesday in reaction to election results that put control of the US House of Representatives in the hands of the Democratic Party for the first time in 12 years. Investors believed that some sectors of the business community would be subject to stricter regulation under the Democrats than they have been with a Republican majority in power.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.2 percent lower to 12,135.16, while the Nasdaq Composite had dropped 0.08 percent to 2,373.99 and the S&P 500 fell 0.1 percent to 1,381.1.

Defense-related stocks saw declines. Boeing dropped 0.4 percent to $84.18, while Northrop Grumman lost 1.3 percent to $65.53, Lockheed Martin was 1.4 percent lower to $86.24, and Raytheon declined 2 percent to $48.70.

The pharmaceuticals sector was lower as well. Pfizer was 1.8 percent lower to $25.56, while Merck fell 3.5 percent to $44.29. On the other hand, biotech company StemCells added over 10 percent to $3.39 on the theory that it’s research into stem cell-based therapies for central nervous system diseases would get more support from a Democratic house than it has under the Republicans.

In the retail sector, Wal-Mart dropped 1 percent to $47.17 on investor concern that a Democratic House will put more pressure on the discount retailer on the issue of working conditions for its employees. Elsewhere in the sector, Federated Department stores fell 1.2 percent to $39.87 after it reported that it lost 1 cent per share in the third quarter.