The markets traded mixed during the midday with the Dow slipping 16 points to 10,722 as European debt concerns tempered news that home sales rose in August. Nasdaq rose 8 points to 2343.
On the upside
The Food and Drug Administration accepted Bionovo's (Nasdaq: BNVID) manufacturing plan for its menopausal hot flash treatment Menerba.
As an Official Office Products Partner of NASCAR, Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) announced the two finalists in its "Official Small Business of NASCAR, Courtesy of Office Depot" sweepstakes on the air and will announce the winner on ESPN this weekend.
Steelcase (NYSE: SCS) posted a second quarter profit that surpassed analyst estimates as revenue rose.
On the downside
Copart (Nasdaq: CPRT) disappointed with fourth quarter earnings that fell short of expectations.
Shares of Allied Irish Banks (NYSE: AIB) and The Governor and Company of The Bank of Ireland (NYSE: IRE) fell as the cost of insuring Irish debt surged again.
UBS analyst Nikos Theodosospoulos dismissed rumors that Brocade (Nasdaq: BRCD) would be acquiredc.
In the broad market, declining issues outpaced advancers by a margin of nearly 10 to 9 on the NYSE while advancers edged out decliners by 9 to 7 on Nasdaq. The Russell 2000 which tracks small cap stocks edged up a point to 657.
