The S&P 500 was up 0.5% in midday trading to 2,051.10.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.4% to 17,497.14.
The NASDAQ was up 1.1% to 4,765.09.
The yield on a 10-year Treasury bond was up 0.2% to 1.85%.
The price of gold was down 0.2% to $1,252.
REAL ESTATE
Orange County homebuilders were up on a National Association of Realtors report that showed sales of existing homes rose 1.7% in April from the prior month to a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.45 million, slightly above what economists had expected and the second straight month of growth.
Irvine-based CalAtlantic Group Inc. was up 1.5% to $34.39 and a $4 billion market cap. Irvine-based Tri Pointe Group Inc. was up 2.3% to $10.93 and a $1.8 billion market cap. Newport Beach-based William Lyon Homes was up 2.6% to $14.55 and a $468 million market cap. Aliso Viejo-based New Home Co. Inc. was up 3.7% to $9.03 and a $185 million market cap.
HEALTHCARE
Irvine-based Quality Systems Inc. was down 10% to $13.01 and a $792 million market cap. The company, which makes systems to automate dental practices, said revenue this year would fall below analysts’ current expectations.
