Tech stocks boost Nasdaq

US TECH stocks advanced at midday yesterday as strength in software, chips and telecom gave a lift to the Nasdaq. But the Dow Jones industrial average swung to both sides of the break-even point.

Around 12:10pm ET, the Nasdaq added 13.86 to 1,390.45. The Dow was up 15.59 to 8,887.66. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index was 3.68 higher at 941.11.

“The Nasdaq is up, the Russell 2000 is up, it’s just the Dow that’s quirky. You have aerospace down, Johnson & Johnson, down $0.35 to $54.55 and Philip Morris, which is down on a question of tobacco litigation,” said Donald Selkin, director of research at Joseph Stevens.