Following the market opening Tuesday, the Dow traded up 0.54 percent to 19,903.73 while the NASDAQ climbed 0.95 percent to
5,464.09. The S&P also rose, gaining 0.66 percent to 2,271.92.
Leading and Lagging Sectors
Energy shares gained around 1.15 percent in trading on Tuesday. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included PetroChina
Company Limited (ADR) (NYSE: PTR), and Alliance Holdings
GP, L.P. (NASDAQ: AHGP).
In trading on Tuesday, basic materials shares rose by just 0.1 percent. Meanwhile, top losers in the sector included KMG
Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE: KMG), down 2 percent, and POSCO
(ADR) (NYSE: PKX), down 3 percent.
Top Headline
On Monday, VeriFone Systems Inc (NYSE: PAY) reported
better-than-expected earnings for its fourth quarter, but issued a weak outlook for the first quarter.
Verifone reported Q4 adjusted earnings of $0.30 per share on revenue of $468 million. Analysts were expecting earnings of $0.29
per share on revenue of $461.3 million.
Verifone projects Q1 earnings of $0.20 per share on revenue of $450 million. Analysts expected earnings of $0.36 per share on
revenue of $471 million.
Equities Trading UP
Neovasc Inc (US) (NYSE: NVCN) shares shot up 29
percent to $2.91 after the company reported the close of its $75 million transaction with Boston Scientific Corporation
(NYSE: BSX).
Shares of Achaogen Inc (NASDAQ: AKAO) got a boost,
shooting up 10 percent to $14.35 as the company reported an offering of 5.7 million shares.
OpGen Inc (NASDAQ: OPGN) shares were also up,
gaining 71 percent to $1.79.
Equities Trading DOWN
Proteon Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: PRTO) shares
dropped 72 percent to $2.76 after the company disclosed that it did not meet primary endpoint in PATENCY-1 trial.
Shares of Inovalon Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: INOV)
were down 35 percent to $9.69 as the company cut its earnings and revenue guidance for full year 2016.
BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BDSI) was down, falling around 7 percent to $1.87 after the company disclosed that
its Clonidine Topical Gel Phase 2b trial missed the primary endpoint.
Commodities
In commodity news, oil traded up 0.73 percent to $54.14 while gold traded down 0.09 percent to $1,164.80.
Silver traded down 0.04 percent Tuesday to $17.18, while copper fell 0.29 percent to $2.61.
Eurozone
European shares were higher today. The eurozone’s STOXX 600 gained 0.72 percent, the Spanish Ibex Index rose 0.91 percent, while
Italy’s FTSE MIB Index climbed 1.40 percent. Meanwhile the German DAX climbed 0.47 percent, and the French CAC 40 rose 0.49 percent
while U.K. shares rose 0.60 percent.
Economics
The Federal Open Market Committee will begin its two-day policy meeting today.
U.S. import prices declined 0.30 percent for November, versus economists’ expectations for a 0.40 percent drop.
The Treasury is set to auction 4-week bills at 11:30 a.m. ET.
The Treasury will auction 30-year bonds at 1:00 p.m. ET.
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