The markets traded mixed during the midday with the Dow falling 25 points to 21,371. Nasdaq gained 15 points to 6,252.
Ford Motor is recalling 15,600 vehicles in South Africa to correct a potential fire risk. Owners of model years 2004 through 2012 Ikon and Figo vehicles that were built in India have been asked to contact dealerships to schedule appointments to replace certain parts of the car. Power steering fluid may leak and come into contact with the vehicle's exhaust system creating smoke and possibly a fire.
Sears Holdings announced additional store closures in its continuing efforts to return to profitability. The department store operator added 20 new locations to its list of 245 stores that will close this year. Eighteen of the closures will be Sears stores while two will be Kmart.
Amazon submitted a patent application for a drone hive to facilitate package deliveries by drones. Drawings of the fulfillment centers depict a tower with nine stories that contain items that are ready to be shipped to customers. Drones fly to the appropriate zone in the hive to collect packages then deliver them to customers.
In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of more than 5 to 3 on the NYSE and by 7 to 5 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 edged up a fraction to 2,435. Bitcoin added $6 to $2699.
