NEW YORK, Feb 5 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks turned positive on Thursday as semiconductor shares led the technology sector higher while Wal-Mart's (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) better-than-expected January sales tempered consumer spending worries.

* Wal-Mart, up 4.7 percent to $48.60, was the top boost on the Dow.

* Semiconductor shares underpinned the Nasdaq. Even so, worries about the banking sector lingered.

* The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI rose 12.50 points, or 0.16 percent, at 7,969.16. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX added 4.23 points, or 0.51 percent, at 836.46. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC gained 15.04 points, or 0.99 percent, at 1,530.09. (Reporting by Deepa Seetharaman; Editing by James Dalgleish)