The markets traded higher during the midday with the Dow rising 43 points to 13,987 as the nation's trade deficit narrowed in December. Nasdaq gained 28 points to 3193.

On the upside

Shares of Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD) and Caesers Entertainment (Nasdaq: CZR) climbed on optimism that New Jersey would legalize online gambling.

Zynga's (Nasdaq: ZNGA) popular Farmville social media game will become a half hour animated television series.

AOL (NYSE: AOL) reported sharply higher fourth quarter earnings as revenue rose.

On the downside

OPKO Health (NYSE: OPK) vice president and chief accounting officer Adam E. Logal sold 50,000 shares of common stock.

Moody's (NYSE: MCO) reported sharply higher fourth quarter earnings and revenue but the stock price tumbled on lawsuit concerns.

Corrections Corporation of America (NYSE: CXW) will convert to a Real Estate Investment Trust.

In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of nearly 2 to 1 on the NYSE and by more than 5 to 3 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 index gained 6 points to 1516.