Shares of Freddie Mac rose to record the largest gains on the Standard & Poor's 500 index Wednesday after the mortgage finance company posted a wider first-quarter loss, but beat analyst estimates.
The S&P 500 gained 5.62 points to 1,408.66.
Freddie Mac, the nation's second-largest buyer and backer of home loans, rose $2.29, or 9.2 percent, to $27.25.
Homebuilders Pulte Homes Inc. rose 88 cents, or 6.8 percent, to $13.77, and Lennar Corp. rose $1.20, or 6.4 percent, to $19.92. An analyst in a report said certain disciplined builders may outperform in 2008.
Among the decliners, Whole Foods Market Inc. plunged $4.68, or 13.9 percent, to $28.96. Shares earlier traded at $28.96, their lowest price since October 2003.
The organic and natural foods retailer said its fiscal second-quarter profit fell 13 percent, missing Wall Street estimates.
Shares of Deere & Co. gave up $8.94, or 9.9 percent, to $81.25, after the farm equipment maker warned that rising raw materials cost could hurt earnings for the rest of the year.
Manitowoc Co., a machinery company, declined $2.30, or 5.4 percent, to $40.58.
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