The markets traded mixed during the midday with the Dow slipping 12 points to 16,412 as jobless claims rose less than expected. Nasdaq added 5 points to 4,091.
On the upside
Bargain hunters snapped up shares of LiveDeal (Nasdaq: LIVE).
Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) impressed with sharply higher first quarter earnings that beat expectations as revenue climbed.
General Electric (NYSE: GE) reported lower first quarter earnings but the results topped analyst estimates.
On the downside
Chemtura (NYSE: CHMT) will sell its AgroSolutions agrichemicals business to competitor Platform Specialty Products for approximately $1 billion in cash and stock.
Plans by RadioShack (NYSE: RSH) to close up to 1,100 stores have been opposed by its lenders.
Renewable Energy Group (Nasdaq: REGI) warned of losses for the first quarter.
In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of more than 9 to 7 on the NYSE and by a margin of more than 5 to 3 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 added a point to 1863. Bitcoin fell $34.17 or 6.48% to $492.99.