Markets Right Now: US stocks mostly rise in midday trade

Stocks are mostly higher on Wall Street in midday trading as gains by retailers and consumer goods companies outweighed losses in other sectors.

Technology stocks were among the biggest decliners Friday. Energy companies fell along with the price of crude oil.

Lowe's rose 2.7 percent after naming three new directors.

American Express sank 2.6 percent after the company suspended its share buy-back program for six months.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 3 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,801.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 47 points to 24,969, weighed down by a drop in IBM. The Nasdaq composite rose 23 points, or 0.3 percent, to 7,318.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.64 percent, the highest level in more than three years.

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9:35 a.m.

Stocks are opening slightly higher on Wall Street as consumer-focused companies and banks post gains.

Lowe's rose 1.5 percent in early trading Friday after naming three new directors, and Amazon rose 1.2 percent following reports that it would raise the price of monthly Prime memberships.

American Express sank 2.6 percent after the company suspended its share buy-back program for six months.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 6 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,804.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 4 points to 26,023. The Nasdaq composite rose 25 points, or 0.4 percent, to 7,322.