Stock Market Update

[BRIEFING.COM] The S&P 500 (+0.2%), Nasdaq Composite (+0.2%), and DJIA (+0.2%) hold modest gains just before midday amid another relatively uneventful holiday week session. 

The major averages moved modestly higher after a morning spent flat, tracking improvements to the information technology sector (+0.5%), which now trades at session highs. NVIDIA (NVDA 186.92, +3.23, +1.76%) once again provides solid leadership, with Apple (AAPL 271.86, +0.89, +0.33%) and Microsoft (MSFT 486.20, +1.28, +0.26%) holding more modest gains. 

Alphabet (GOOG 315.22, +3.89, +1.25%) also trades higher, lifting the communication services sector (+0.8%) to the top of the leaderboard. 

The Vanguard Mega Cap Growth ETF is up 0.4%, helping the major averages trade higher despite relatively weak breadth figures, with decliners outpacing advancers by a roughly 3-to-2 margin on the NYSE and a roughly 9-to-2 clip on the NASDAQ. 

Meanwhile, the Russell 2000 (-0.6%) and S&P Mid Cap 400 (-0.5%) lag after outperforming yesterday.