The S&P 500 was up 0.25% to 2,076.92 in midday trading.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.35% to 17,965.97 and the Nasdaq was up 0.25% to 4,781.22.
The yield on a 10-year Treasury bond rose 2.8% to 2.32%.
The price of gold declined 1.5% to $1,189.80.
HEALTHCARE
Mission Viejo-based the Ensign Group Inc. was up 2.5% to $41.33 and a market cap of $929 million. The nursing and assisted living facility operator said it would buy a San Diego-based hospice agency
Irvine-based Biolase Inc. is up 3.5% to $2.94 and a market cap of $129 million on high volume. Shares in the dental laser maker are up 20% this week, with an average daily volume of 250,000, compared with its 90-day average of 165,000.
