Markets Right Now: Tech stocks gain in a day of mixed trade

The latest on developments in financial markets (All times local):

4 p.m.

Technology companies notched solid gains on Wall Street, but most other sectors finished lower in a mixed day of trading.

Apple added 1.7 percent Tuesday, while software company Red Hat jumped 4.1 percent after reporting a solid quarter.

The tech sector, still the best-performing part of the market this year, was clawing back some of the ground it lost a day earlier.

Eight of the 11 sectors in the S&P 500 index fell, led by phone companies and materials makers.

The Standard & Poor's 500 edged up a fraction of a point to 2,496.

The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 11 points, less than 0.1 percent, to 22,284. The Nasdaq composite rose 9 points, or 0.2 percent, to 6,380.

Small-company stocks did better than the rest of the market.

___

11:45 a.m.

Stocks are edging higher in midday trading as technology companies recover some of their losses from the day before.

Cruise lines are also trading higher Tuesday after Carnival had a stronger third quarter than analysts expected. Carnival gained 3.4 percent.

Chipmaker Nvidia rose 1.7 percent, while Apple climbed 1.2 percent.

Credit monitoring company Equifax sank 1.5 percent after announcing the departure of CEO Richard Smith. Equifax was hit by a data breach that exposed personal information on about 143 million Americans.

The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 1 point to 2,497.

The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 7 points, less than 0.1 percent, to 22,304. The Nasdaq added 3 points, less than 0.1 percent, to 6,374.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.24 percent.

___

9:35 a.m.

Technology stocks were leading a broad gain in early trading on Wall Street, bouncing back after a downturn a day earlier.

Chipmaker Nvidia jumped 4.1 percent in early trading Tuesday, while Apple climbed 1.3 percent. Software maker Red Hat surged 5.7 percent after reporting a strong quarter.

Credit monitoring company Equifax sank 1.6 percent after announcing the departure of CEO Richard Smith. Equifax was hit by a data breach that exposed personal information on about 143 million Americans.

The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 5 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,502.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 54 points, or 0.2 percent, to 22,352. The Nasdaq composite rose 30 points, or 0.5 percent, to 6,402.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.24 percent.