U.S. shares were under pressure in early trade as the persistent deadlock in Greek debt talks turned investors cautious heading into the weekend. The S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX) fell 0.3 percent to 2,115.36 at 11:49 a.m. in New York. The 30-company Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) skidded 0.3 percent to 18,060.22, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) retreated 0.2 percent to 4,519.82. Most followed shares included Red Hat, Twitter, Integrated Silicon, Amgen, ConAgra, Hershey, CarMax, KB Home, Martha Stewart, Smith & Wesson, and AmEx.
In technology stocks, Red Hat (NYSE:RHT) added 1.9 percent to $79.94. The provider of Linux software reported adjusted quarterly profit of $0.44 per share, $0.03 above estimates. Revenue also beat forecasts, although its growth in future orders slowed from the prior year.
Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) gained 4.1 percent to $36.08. The microblogging company seeking to be a bigger player in live events is planning a new product to curate tweets and other content about major sports contests, entertainment events and breaking news.
Integrated Silicon Solution (NASDAQ:ISSI) rose 3.4 percent to $22.19 after it received an increased bid from Uphill, the consortium of Chinese investors that has been battling Cypress Semiconductor for the chip maker.
In health-care shares, Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) inched up 1.1 percent to $161.93 after the biotechnology company said its drug met the main goal of improving overall survival in metastatic colorectal cancer patients who have not responded to chemotherapy.
In consumer shares, ConAgra Foods (NYSE:CAG) gained 8.8 percent to $42.58 ahead of the bell after activist hedge fund Jana Partners took a stake in the packaged food company.
Hershey (NYSE:HSY) fell 2.9 percent to $89.55 after the provider of chocolate and sugar confectionery said it would cut about 300 jobs and lowered its sales-growth forecast again for the year. Hershey also announced a series of productivity initiatives as well as some changes in its global leadership team.
CarMax (NYSE:KMX) skidded 2.7 percent to $70.04 after the used cars retailer reported slightly weaker-than-expected sales growth in its May quarter, though profit met Wall Street expectations. Net income rose to $182 million, or $0.86 per share, in the three quarters ended May 31, from $169.7 million, or $0.76 per share, in the year-earlier period.
Sales gained 7.1 percent to $4.01 billion. Analysts on average were expecting earnings of $0.86 per share on revenue of $4.15 billion, according Capital IQ.
KB Home (NYSE:KBH) advanced 7.3 percent to $16.06 after reporting better than expected profit and revenue in the last quarter.
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (NYSE:MSO) gained 4.5 percent to $6.73. The company is close to a sale, according to Dow Jones. The buyer will reportedly be retail licensing company Sequential Brands.
Post Holdings (NYSE:POST) advanced 3 percent to $51.11. The company best known for its cereals lowered its estimate of the impact of avian flu on its egg supply, following a new round of testing of its chicken flock.
In other stocks, Smith & Wesson Holding (NASDAQ:SWHC) sank 2.7 percent to $15.67 after the firearm maker’s quarterly forecast fell short of expectations even as fourth-quarter adjusted earnings beat. Handgun demand slowed back to more normal levels after a jump in recent years.
American Express (NYSE:AXP) skidded 0.8 percent to $80.14. American Express has stopped prohibiting merchants from steering customers toward rival cards, after a judge ruled that the practice was anti-competitive.