Key Takeaways

U.S. equities were mixed at midday, with the Nasdaq trading at a record high during the session, boosted by tech shares. The S&P 500 was higher, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell.

Super Micro Computer ( SMCI ), or Supermicro, was the best-performing stock in the S&P 500 after the computer server maker said an internal investigation found no misconduct in the company's accounting practices. It also will bring in a new CFO.

Shares of Tesla ( TSLA ) gained when Roth Capital Partners upgraded the stock, saying CEO Elon Musk's close relationship with President-elect Donald Trump will likely increase demand. Stifel also gave the electric vehicle manufacturer a big price target boost.

An upgrade from JPMorgan sent shares of Gap ( GAP ) higher, with the analysts pointing to positive comments about the apparel maker from its CEO and CFO.

Stellantis ( STLA ) shares dropped after the struggling carmaker announced that CEO Carlos Taveras resigned, effective immediately.

Shares of Pacific Gas & Electric ( PCG ) slumped when the utility announced a $2.4 billion stock sale.

Shares of Targa Resources ( TRGP ) and other companies in the natural gas sector tumbled after the U.S. reported that the country was entering the winter with the most natural gas since 2016.

Oil futures rose. Gold prices declined. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was little changed. The U.S. dollar advanced against the euro, pound, and yen. Most major cryptocurrencies fell.