Jul. 21, 2010 (United Press International) -- U.S. markets opened soft Wednesday morning after Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) reported earnings were flat in the second quarter.
The drug maker said it earned $1.29 billion in the second quarter, a numerical repeat of the first quarter, with profits of 83 cents a share.
Prominent money management firm BlackRock said its earnings nearly doubled to $432 million in the quarter, due to its acquisition of Barclays (NYSE:BCS) Global Investors.
In early afternoon trading, the Dow Jones industrial average added 11.13 points, 0.11 percent, to 10,241.09. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 0.13 or 0.01 percent, to 1,083.61. The Nasdaq composite index shed 1 point, 0.02 percent, to 2,222.02.
The benchmark 10-year treasury note rose 5/32 to yield 2.941 percent.
The euro fell to $1.2816 from Tuesday's $1.2893. Against the yen, the dollar fell to 87.27 yen from Tuesday's 87.44 yen.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index lost 21.63 points or 0.23 percent to 9,278.83.
In Britain, the FTSE 100 index added 75.18 points, 1.46 percent, to 5,214.64.
