Stocks continue to experience choppy trading in the mid-afternoon on Friday, with traders reluctant to make any significant moves. While the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 remain firmly positive, the Dow has pulled back near the unchanged line.
The lackluster performance comes as traders seem to be staying on the sidelines amid questions about whether the global economic situation supports further upside for the markets. Nonetheless, relatively upbeat U.S. economic data has generated some buying interest.
Health insurance stocks continue to turn in some of the market's best performances on the day, with the Morgan Stanley Healthcare Payor Index up by 1.4 percent. WellCare (WCG) has helped to lead the sector higher, surging up by 5.1 percent.
Steel, railroad, and software stocks are also seeing notable strength, while moderate weakness is visible among gold and banking stocks.
After reaching a high above 13,000, the Dow has given back some ground but is currently up 5.79 points or less than a tenth of a percent at 12,990.48. The Nasdaq is up 11.77 points or 0.4 percent at 2,968.75 and the S&P 500 is up 3.87 points or 0.3 percent at 1,367.3.
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