Investors picked up blue chip stocks following an upbeat job creation report and an increase in November factory orders. The Dow rose 60 points to 13,104 while Nasdaq added a point to 2611.

On the upside

Sciele Pharma (Nasdaq: SCRX) received FDA approval to sell a new version of its high blood pressure drug treatment.

Seed company Monsanto (NYSE: MON) posted earnings that tripled citing strong Latin American results.

Investors continued to snap up shares of Akeena Solar (Nasdaq: AKNS) which traded at new highs.

On the downside

Shares of CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) lost ground after the drugstore chain operator updated its outlook toward the low end of analysts' expectations.

The sell-off in the chip sector continued with shares of Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) and Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) losing ground for a 2nd day in a row.

Bakery and cafe chain Panera Bread (Nasdaq: PNRA) posted higher revenues, but unfavorable weather conditions hurt same-store sales results.

In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of nearly 2 to 1 on the NYSE and by a slim margin on Nasdaq. The Russell 2000 which tracks small cap stocks added 2 points to 756.