(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Milano, 16 lug - US shares were trading mostly lower at midday as investors assessed the latest data and corporate earnings, although results from TSMC weighed on semiconductor stocks.

The Taiwanese chip giant posted upbeat earnings but warned of rising costs, sending stocks of chip makers lower.

In early trading, Micron was down 4.70%, AMD was 3.83% lower and Broadcom was losing 3.43%.

Markets are also keeping an eye on developments in the Middle East after the US launched a new set of strikes on Wednesday and amid reports that US president Donald Trump might be considering expanding the conflict by increasing bombing or deploying ground forces.

Meanwhile on the data front, the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the first time in the week ended July 11 declined by 8,000 from the previous week's revised figure to a seasonally adjusted figure of 208,000, pointing to a stable labor market.

While retail sales rose in June 0.2%, in line with expectations.

And the pending home sales index in the US fell 5.4% month on month in June, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) said, below expectations a decline of 0.5%.

On the stocks front, UnitedHealth was up 5.03% after the pharmaceutical giant reported a rise in second quarter earnings and lifted its guidance.

While Eli Lilly up 2.18% was after it reached a deal to buy AtaiBeckley, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapeutics for mental health conditions.

At 1511 GMT, the Dow Jones was gaining 130.67 points, or 0.25%, at 52,789.31 points.

The S&P 500 was 10.82 points, or 0.14%, lower at 7,561.58 points.

The Nasdaq was losing 202.25 points, or 0.77%, at 26,066.97.

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(RADIOCOR) 16-07-26 17:22:24 (0590) 5 NNNN