As of 1:20 p.m. EST, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI 0.06%) is up 0.4%, or 56 points, to 12,934. The S&P 500 (^GSPC -0.22%) is up 0.3% to 1,403.
The markets are higher despite a disappointing report from the housing sector this morning. The U.S. Department of Commerce said that sales of new single-family homes fell 0.3% last month. Adding insult to injury, the prior month's sales pace was revised markedly lower.
Despite the iffy economic news, 24 of the Dow's 30 components are up at the halfway point of the day. Here are three of the intraday winners.
Today's Dow leaders
Today's Dow leader is Hewlett-Packard (HPQ -0.25%), up 2.4%. Shares of the world's largest PC-maker have been bouncing back after getting crushed following last week's disappointing quarterly report. The stock has now moved higher in four of the past five trading days, closing in on the price at which it traded just before the earnings report.
Yesterday HP released a statement claiming that it has uncovered new evidence to support its accusations of accounting manipulation at its ill-fated Autonomy acquisition.
Investors also can't leave home without American Express (AXP -0.08%) in their portfolio. The financial-services giant is up 1.6% today after announcing the early tender results of private offers to exchange senior notes expiring in 2019 and 2038 for new debt expiring three and four years later, respectively. Extending the maturity of the notes is apparently a hit: The note holders have committed nearly $2 billion to the swap so far.
Wal-Mart (WMT -0.65%), up 1.6%, is another big winner. There's no material news on the world's largest retailer, but the sentiment has been generally upbeat among merchants early in the telltale holiday-shopping season.
Hey, at least shareholders don't have a reason to protest Wal-Mart today.
