U.S. stocks turned positive in Friday morning trade as gains in bank stocks overshadowed worries about the spread of unrest in the Middle East.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 22.71 points, or 0.19 percent, to 12,252.00. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 3.37 points, or 0.25 percent, to 1,325.24. The Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> added 5.26 points, or 0.19 percent, to 2,795.71.

Protesters insisted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak step down in the increasingly tense situation. Egyptian State TV said an important, urgent statement from the presidency was imminent.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

Egypt