Mid-Day Market Update: Yahoo! Slips After Q4 Results; RF Micro Shares Rise

Midway through trading Wednesday, the Dow traded down 0.57 percent to 15,837.48 while the NASDAQ declined 0.28 percent to 4,086.69. The S&P also fell, dropping 0.41 percent to 1,785.19.

Dow Chemical Co

posted a profit in the fourth quarter. Dow Chemical swung to a quarterly profit of $963 million, or $0.79 per share, versus a year-ago loss of $716 million, or $0.61 per share. Excluding certain items, it earned $0.65 per share. Its revenue surged to $14.39 billion from $13.92 billion. However, analysts were estimating earnings of $0.43 per share on revenue of $14.14 billion. The company lifted its dividend by 15% and increased its stock buyback program to $4.5 billion.

Medivation

shot up 12.17 percent to $85.00 after the company and Astellas

from the Phase 3 PREVAIL trial of Enzalutamide. Credit Suisse lifted the price target on the stock from $80.00 to $95.00. Shares of The Dow Chemical Company

got a boost, shooting up 3.68 percent to $44.64 after the company after the company

in the fourth quarter and lifted its dividend by 15%. RF Micro Devices

was also up, gaining 7.98 percent to $5.28 after the company reported Q3 results.

Shares of CommVault Systems

were down 10.20 percent to $68.34 on Q3 results. Cirrus Logic

shares tumbled 8.75 percent to $17.10 after the company issued a downbeat Q4 revenue outlook. Yahoo!

was down, falling 6.79 percent to $35.63 after the company

in its Q4 revenue and online ad prices.

In commodity news,

to $97.10, while gold traded up 1.12 percent to $1,264.50. Silver traded up 0.86 percent Wednesday to $19.67, while copper fell 0.22 percent to $3.25.

European shares

today. The Spanish Ibex Index rose 0.04 percent, while Italy's FTSE MIB Index declined 0.64 percent. Meanwhile, the German DAX tumbled 0.74 percent and the French CAC 40 slipped 0.68 percent while U.K. shares fell 0.51 percent.

The MBA reported that its index of mortgage application activity fell 0.20% in the week ended January 24. Crude supplies rose 6.4 million barrels for the week ended January 24, the US Energy Information Administration reported. However, analysts were expecting a gain of 2.1 million barrels. Distillate stockpiles fell 4.6 million barrels, while gasoline supplies slipped 800,000 barrels. The Federal Open Market Committee is scheduled to announce its policy decision at 2:00 p.m. ET.