The S&P 500 was up 0.2% in midday trading to 2,080.29.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.2% to 17,711.55.
The NASDAQ was up 0.3% to 4,857.36.
The yield on a 10-year Treasury bond was down 0.5% to 1.60%.
The price of gold was flat at $1,288.
REAL ESTATE
Orange County homebuilders were up with investors expecting the Federal Reserve to leave interest rates unchanged as it concludes a two-day meeting today.
Irvine-based CalAtlantic Group Inc. was up 2.4% to $36.83 and a $4.3 billion market cap. Irvine-based Tri Pointe Group Inc. was up 2.2% to $11.77 and a $1.9 billion market cap. Newport Beach-based William Lyon Homes was up 2.9% to $16.57 and a $528 million market cap. Aliso Viejo-based New Home Co. Inc. bucked the trend with a decline of about 0.4% to $10.39 and a $216 million market cap.
HEALTHCARE
Irvine-based heart valve maker Edwards Lifesciences Corp. was down 2.7% on above-average volume.
Irvine-based medical-device maker Glaukos Corp.was up 7.1% to $29.15 and a $948 million market cap on high volume. Glaukos specializes in devices to treat glaucoma.
