Mid-Day Market Update: Google Drops After Downbeat Earnings; SanDisk Shares Spike Higher

Midway through trading Thursday, the Dow traded down 0.10 percent to 16,409.15 while the NASDAQ surged 0.09 percent to 4,090.08. The S&P also rose, gaining 0.06 percent to 1,863.41.

Thursday morning, the telecommunications services sector proved to be a source of strength for the market. Leading the sector was strength from ARC Group Worldwide

and Internet Initiative Japan

. In trading on Thursday, non-cyclical consumer goods & services shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 0.43 percent. Top losers in the sector included B&G Foods

, off 5.6 percent, and Diageo plc

, down 3.5 percent.

The Goldman Sachs Group

reported

first-quarter earnings. Goldman Sachs posted its quarterly earnings of $2.03 billion, or $4.02 per share, down from $2.26 billion, or $4.29 per share, in the year-ago period. Its total revenue declined 8% to $9.33 billion from $10.09 billion. However, analysts were estimating earnings of $3.48 per share on revenue of $8.66 billion. Goldman Sachs' investment banking revenue rose 13% to $1.78 billion from $1.57 billion, while fixed income revenue slipped 11% to $2.85 billion versus $3.22 billion.

Plexus

shares shot up 5.06 percent to $42.32 after the company reported its Q2 earnings of $0.60 per share on revenue of $557.60 million. The company also issued a strong Q3 outlook. Shares of Euronet Worldwide

got a boost, shooting up 4.39 percent to $42.58 after the company and Wal-Mart

announced a new service. SanDisk

shares were also up, gaining 9.80 percent to $83.28 after the company reported upbeat Q1 results. Morgan Stanley raised the price target on the stock from $82.00 to $90.00.

Shares of Moneygram International

were down 15.45 percent to $15.21 following announcement of new money-transfer service from Wal-Mart. International Business Machines

shares tumbled 3.60 percent to $189.32 after the company reported

revenue. IBM posted its adjusted earnings of $2.54 per share on revenue of $22.48 billion. However, analysts were projecting earnings of $2.54 per share on revenue of $22.93 billion. Google

was down, falling 3.91 percent to $541.84 after the firm reported weaker-than-expected first-quarter earnings. Google posted its adjusted profit of $6.27 per share on adjusted revenue of $12.19 billion. However, analysts were estimating earnings of $6.36 per share on revenue of $12.41 billion.

In commodity news,

to $104.71, while gold traded down 0.25 percent to $1,300.30. Silver traded up 0.01 percent Thursday to $19.64, while copper rose 0.41 percent to $3.03.

European shares

today. The Spanish Ibex Index rose 0.24 percent, while Italy's FTSE MIB Index jumped 0.37 percent. Meanwhile, the German DAX climbed 0.99 percent and the French CAC 40 jumped 0.59 percent while U.K. shares gained 0.62 percent.

US initial jobless claims rose by 2,000 to 304,000 in the week ended April 12. However, economists were projecting claims to total 315,000 in the week. US Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index rose to -29.10 in the week ended April 13, versus a prior reading of -31.90. US Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index rose to 16.60 in April, versus a prior reading of 9.00. However, economists were expecting a reading of 9.80. Supplies of natural gas climbed 24 billion cubic feet for the week ended April 11, the US Energy Information Administration said. However, analysts were expecting a gain of 34 billion cubic feet to 38 billion cubic feet. Data on money supply will be released at 4:30 p.m. ET.