Stocks were higher on Wall Street in midday trade as the Commerce Department reported that the US trade deficit dropped 2.4 percent in August to $57.6 billion from its July level.

In addition, the Labor Department said that new unemployment claims fell to 308,000 last week, a drop of 12,000 from the previous week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.53 percent higher at mid-session to 14,152.99 after rising to a new record of 14,181.36.

The Nasdaq Composite was 0.56 percent higher to 2,827.37, while the S&P 500 was up 0.59 percent to 1,751.71 after rising to a record 1,573.47.

In the retail sector, Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) added $1.61 to $47.20 after it issued an improved earnings estimate for the third quarter, saying it will record earnings of between 66 and 69 cents per share, from an earlier prediction of 62 to 65 cents per share.

With a gain in same-store sales, clothing retailer Aeropostale (NYSE: ARO) gained $2.11 to $22.02, while TJX Companies (NYSE: TJX), which owns T. J. Maxx and Marshalls stores, was $1.63 higher to $31.29 after it said same-store sales were up 2 percent in September.

Limited Brands (NYSE: LTD) added 76 cents to $22.34 even though it said it suffered a drop of 4 percent in same-store sales in September.

J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP) dropped $3.22 to $64.78 on same-store sales that were much worse than had been anticipated, causing the clothing retailer to reduce its third quarter estimate.

Elsewhere, the oil sector saw gains after prices rose on a report that crude oil stockpiles dropped more than expected last week.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) was up 44 cents to $87.17, while ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) added 80 cents to $93.93.

Markets were higher in midday trade on Wall Street after the US Labor Department reported that 110,000 new jobs were created in September, near expected levels, although unemployment was also higher, up to 4.7 percent.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.67 percent to 14,067.31, while the Nasdaq Composite had added 1.43 percent to 2,772.76 and the S&P 500 had gained 0.79 percent to 1,554.98.

The Nasdaq was helped by gains for internet search engine Google (NAS: GOOG; LSE: GGEA) and Research in Motion (NAS: RIMM; TSX: RIM.TO).

The manufacturer of the Blackberry hand-held device added 12.2 percent to $112.84 the day after it turned in a better than expected quarterly report on Thursday, while Google gained 2.6 percent to $594.05 after Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC) set its target share price for next year at $700.

The financial services sector also saw gains.

Citigroup (NYSE: C) added 1.8 percent to $48.48, while Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER) was up 2.4 percent to $76.56 even though it said it will write off $4.5 billion in bad loans in the third quarter.

Retailers also saw gains as Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) added 1.2 percent to $45.53 and Target (NYSE: TGT) was up almost 4 percent to $67.77.

Wall Street was lower in early afternoon trade on Friday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.1 percent lower to 13,898.88 at just past 1 p.m. in New York, while the Nasdaq Composite had dropped 0.22 percent to 2,703.63 and the S&P 500 was down 0.23 percent to 1,527.89.

The Commerce department reported that personal spending was up 0.6 percent in August, more than expected even though incomes were only 0.3 percent higher, less than had been anticipated.

Banks saw declines after the overnight rate banks charge each other to borrow money increased.

Citigroup (NYSE: C) fell 21 cents to $46.67, while Bank of America (NYSE: BAC; TYO: 8648) was down 37 cents to $50.23 and JP Morgan Chase (NYSE: JPM; TYO: 8634) was 53 percent lower to $45.68.

The oil sector also saw losses.

ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) dropped 24 cents to $92.73, while ConocoPhillips and Chevron each fell 32 cents, to $87.64 and $93.21 respectively.

The retail sector was mixed.

While discount retailer Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) added 17 cents to $43.78, home improvement retailer Home Depot (NYSE: HD) dropped 18 cents to $32.58.

Consumer electronics retailer Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) was down 36 cents to $45.84, while closeouts and overstocks retailer Big Lots (NYSE: BIG) was $1.16 lower to $29.94.

The New York markets were up in early afternoon trade.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.52 percent higher to 13,374.73, while the Nasdaq Composite had added 0.23 percent to 2,612.03 and the S&P 500 was 0.33 percent higher to 1,477.21.

Retailers were higher after Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), JC Penney (NYSE: JCP), and Target (NYSE: TGT) all said sales were higher than had been expected.

Wal-Mart added 1 percent to $42.86, while JC Penney gained 0.64 percent to $65.99 and Target was 2.13 percent higher to $63.20.

The pharmaceuticals/biotechnology sector was up on new figures and a court ruling.

Merck (NYSE: MRK) added 2.2 percent to $50.50 after the New Jersey Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling that allowed insurers looking for reimbursement for past spending on Vioxx to claim class-action status.

Meanwhile Biogen Idec (NAS: BIIB) was 7 percent higher to $67.26 on a long-term earnings forecast that was higher than analysts had anticipated.

The oil sector was mixed even though crude oil prices were higher. ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) added 1 percent to $88.07 and ConocoPhillips was up 1.8 percent to $83.62, but Valero Energy (NYSE: VLO) dropped 1.25 percent to $70.09 a day after it said it would raise capital spending in order to make improvements at several refineries in the United States and Canada.

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.

Wall Street was higher in early afternoon trade Wednesday as investors hunted bargains after Tuesday’s big declines.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.85 percent to 13,152.73, while the Nasdaq Composite was 1.03 percent higher to 2,526.49 and the S&P 500 gained 0.94 percent to 1,445.83.

The oil sector was higher after the US Energy Information Administration reported that crude oil and gasoline inventories both fell more last week than had been anticipated.

ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) was $1.25 higher to $84.25, while ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) added $1.63 to $80.44 and Chevron (NYSE: CVX) gained $1.77 to $86.07.

The retail sector also saw gains after companies at both ends of the spectrum revised their outlooks in a positive direction.

Closeout and overstock retailer Big Lots (NYSE: BIG) was up $2 to $28.30, while upscale housewares, cooking utensils and food retailer Williams Sonoma (NYSE: WSM) gained $2.58 percent to $32.15.

Elsewhere among retailers, discount retailer Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) added 27 cents to $43.67, while home improvement retailer Home Depot (NYSE: HD) was $1.13 higher to $36.18.

Fabrics and crafts retailer Jo-Ann Stores (NYSE: JAS) was up $2.16 to $24.40.

Wall Street was lower in early afternoon trade on Monday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was back down below the 13,000 level to trade at 12,993.32, a decline of 0.66 percent, just before 1:30 pm in New York, while the Nasdaq Composite had dropped 0.64 percent to 2,489.1 and the S&P 500 was 0.99 percent lower to 1,431.6.

The retail sector was mixed.

Rite-Aid (NYSE: RAD) was even at $4.88, while Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) had dropped 25 cents to $43.24.

Home improvement retailers, however, saw gains after Lowe’s (NYSE: LOW) reported that its earnings were at 67 cents per share in the second quarter, against expected earnings of 61 cents per share.

Despite dropping its forecasts for the third quarter and the full year, Lowe’s added $1.51 to $28.38, while rival Home Depot (NYSE: HD) gained 19 cents to $33.50.

The financial services sector saw declines.

Troubled mortgage lender Countrywide Financial (NYSE: CFC) was down $1.43 to $20.

Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) dropped 61 cents to $36.63, while Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) fell 84 cents to $61.39, Citigroup (NYSE: C) was 86 cents lower to $47.95 and Bank of America was down 96 cents to $50.80.

JP Morgan Chase (NYSE: JPM; TYO: 8634) fell $1.44 to $45.57, Lehman Brothers (NYSE: LEH) was down $1.78 to $56.30, Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER; TYO: 8675) dropped $2.01 to $74.03, and Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) was $3.87 lower to $171.13.

Wall Street saw gains in early afternoon trade on Wednesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.5 percent higher to 13,094.52, while the Nasdaq Composite had added 0.65 percent to 2,515.45 and the S&P 500 was up 0.75 percent to 1,437.19.

In the financial services sector, it was reported that Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) and Countrywide Financial (NYSE: CFC) have both refused to lend money when hedge funds use subprime securities, collateralized debt obligations or mortgages as collateral.

Bank of America was $1.05 higher to $48.91, but Countrywide had dropped $1.96 to $22.50 after Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER; TYO: 8675) cut its recommendation on the mortgage lender from “buy” to “sell” on worries about liquidity in the sector.

Elsewhere among financial groups Lehman Brothers (NYSE: LEH) added 17 cents to $53.84, while Merrill Lynch gained 25 cents to $27.59 and JP Morgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) was 50 cents higher to $43.80.

Citigroup (NYSE: C) added 57 cents to $46.23, while Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) was up 64 cents to $170.39.

The pharmaceuticals sector was also higher, with Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) adding 25 cents to $23.83 and Schering-Plough (NYSE: SGP) up $1.29 to $29.60.

Among retailers, Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) gained 3 cents to $43.63 and Home Depot (NYSE: HD) added 27 cents to $33.79.

Wall Street was lower in afternoon trade on Tuesday.

At early afternoon in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.76 percent lower to 13,136.06, a decline of 100.47 points after having been down as many as 178 points earlier in the session.

The Nasdaq Composite was down 0.7 percent to 2,534.51, while the S&P 500 had dropped 0.81 percent to 1,441.1.

The declines came after the European Central Bank put another $10.5 billion into money markets as the US Federal Reserve declined to add any additional cash into the system.

In other economic news, the Labor Department reported that the producer price index was 0.6 percent higher in July amid higher energy costs.

However, with energy and food costs subtracted, the core PPI was only up 0.1 percent in the month.

Home Depot (NYSE: HD) was 81 cents lower to $34.43 after it said that profits were down by 14.8 percent in the second quarter.

The result was better than had been anticipated, but it warned that full-year profits will likely be down this year due to declines in the housing sector.

The home improvement retailer also said that it could have to cut its planned stock repurchase in half if the sale of its HD Supply unit is not completed, although Home Depot CFO Carol Tome was quick to add that the $10.3 billion sale to private equity is not in trouble.

Elsewhere in the retail sector, Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) dropped $2.17 to $44.00 after it cut its profit forecast and said that the economy, including higher oil prices, was cutting consumer spending globally.

Toymaker Mattel (NYSE: MAT) was down 48 cents to $23.09 after it extended its recall of toys made in China.

It was the second recall announced in two weeks.

Financial services were also lower again.

Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC) dropped $1.54 to $108.06, while Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) fell $6.71 to $170.79.

In early afternoon trade in New York on Monday, equities markets were slightly ahead after last week’s declines.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.3 percent to 13,278,72, while the Nasdaq Composite had added 0.15 percent to 2,548.6 and the S&P 500 was 0.32 percent higher to 1,458.32.

The gains came as the Federal Reserve and other central banks added more cash into their monetary systems in order to calm investor nerves about the credit market.

The New York Fed announced $2 billion in overnight repurchase agreements, while the Bank of Japan put another $5 billion into the system and the European Central Bank added another $65.3 billion.

Also helping the US markets was a new report from the Commerce Department that showed retail sales up 0.3 percent in July, a bit more than had been anticipated.

This new data left the retail sector mixed, however, with Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) up 21 cents to $46.28 but home improvement retailer Home Depot (NYSE: HD) falling 53 cents to $35.39.

Technology stocks were mostly higher in afternoon trade even though they had retreated from morning gains.

Qwest Communications (NYSE: Q) was up 19 cents to $8.56 on the news that it had named a new CEO after the retirement of its previous one.

Qualcomm (NAS: QCOM) added 96 cents to $38.85 after its general counsel resigned in the wake of legal troubles in its continuing dispute with Broadcom (NAS: BRCM), which fell 59 cents to $35.26.

Storage technology group EMC Corp (NYSE: EMC) was $1.12 higher to $18.84 as it prepared to spin off 10 percent of its Vmware storage virtualization unit.

In the subprime sector, Accredited Home Lenders Holding Co (NAS: LEND) dropped $2.76 to $6.15 after it said it had filed suit against Lone Star Fund V and two of its affiliates to try to get the private equity firm to live up to its agreement to take over the troubled mortgage lender after Lone Star said on Friday that Accredited did not meet the conditions of the offer.

Accredited said that without the takeover deal, it could have to file for bankruptcy.

Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) dropped $1.62 to $178.88.