The S&P 500 was up 0.6% to 2,059.68 in midday trading.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.4% to 17,803.11 and the Nasdaq was up 0.9% to 4,769.55.
The yield on a 10-year Treasury bond rose 1.59% to 1.98%.
The price of gold fell 0.8% to $1,231.50.
TECHNOLOGY
Irvine-based Newport Corp. was up 3% to $20.12 and an $802 million market cap. The laser maker in its most recent quarter beat analysts’ estimates on earnings by two cents a share and said the current quarter is in-line with current analysts’ expectations. Newport specifically cited a $25 million order of surgical lasers for some of the positive news.
HEALTHCARE
Mission Viejo-based Ensign Group Inc. was down 2.8% to $40.97 and a $921 million market cap. The healthcare facilities operator said it had begun an offering of 2.5 million shares of its common stock.
