The Nasdaq was down while the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were little changed around midday Thursday as traders assessed new economic data and earnings reports from major companies.

US initial jobless claims rose to 217,000 in the week ended Jan. 11, from an upwardly revised 203,000 the previous week, compared with expectations for a small increase to 210,000 in a survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg.

Retail sales rose by 0.4% in December, a smaller gain than the 0.6% increase expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg and following the previous month's 0.8% increase. Excluding a 0.7% increase in motor vehicle sales, retail sales were up 0.4% compared with an expected 0.5% gain and following a 0.2% gain in November.

In corporate news, UnitedHealth Group (UNH) shares slipped 4.5% after reporting Q4 revenue that lagged market expectations.

Morgan Stanley's (MS) Q4 earnings climbed to $2.22 per diluted share from $0.85 and net revenue rose to $16.22 billion from $12.90 billion a year earlier, beating analysts' estimates. Morgan Stanley shares were up 3.6%.

Bank of America's (BAC) Q4 earnings increased to $0.82 per diluted share from $0.35 and total revenue rose to $25.35 billion from $21.96 billion a year earlier, exceeding market expectations. The bank's shares were down 1%.

Infosys (INFY) reported fiscal Q3 earnings of $0.19 per diluted share, in line with estimates, and revenue of $4.94 billion, which was above consensus. Infosys shares shed 5.6%.

Symbotic (SYM) agreed to acquire Walmart's (WMT) advanced systems and robotics business for $200 million in cash at closing. Shares of Symbotic jumped 20% and Walmart lost 0.5%.

Price: 518.49, Change: -24.93, Percent Change: -4.59