The S&P 500 was up 0.6% in midday trading to 2,224.21.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.7% to 19,394.05.
The NASDAQ was up 0.5% to 5,359.25
The yield on a 10-year Treasury bond fell 1.8% to 2.35%.
The price of gold rose 0.7% to $1,178.
TECHNOLOGY
Irvine-based Western Digital Corp. was up 8.9% to $69.49 and a $19.6 billion market cap. The storage products maker increased guidance on second quarter earnings and Deutsche Bank raised its price target on the company to $75.
REAL ESTATE
Irvine-based CalAtlantic Group Inc. was up about 2% to $34.76 and a market cap of $4 billon. Fitch Ratings upgraded the homebuilder’s issuer default rating to “BB” from “BB-.”
HEALTHCARE
Irvine-based Aerie Pharmaceuticals Inc. was down 5.3% to $38.25 and a $1.3 billion market cap on moderate trading volume. The clinical-stage pharmaceutical company is developing drugs to lower internal eye pressure.
