U.S. stocks witnessed a mixed trading climate as the Nasdaq Composite dipped by approximately 15 points on Thursday’s session.
The Dow surged by 0.06% to 39,785.29, while the NASDAQ retreated by 0.13% to 16,383.85. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 advanced by 0.10% to 5,253.70.
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Market Movement Overview
Energy shares displayed vitality with a 1.1% surge on Thursday.
In contrast, communication services shares experienced a modest decline of 0.2% in trading.
Company News Snapshot
Shares of MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. MSM encountered a downtrend of over 2% during Thursday’s trading session subsequent to the release of the company’s second-quarter results.
MSC Industrial Direct recorded a decline of 2.7% YoY in second-quarter FY24 net sales, amounting to $935.3 million, falling short of the consensus estimate of $946.5 million. Furthermore, the adjusted EPS stood at $1.18, marking an 18.6% decrease, although it surpassed the consensus of $1.16.
The company reiterated annual growth projections for FY24, including ADS growth of 0%-5%, adjusted operating margin ranging between 12% – 12.8%, and an operating cash flow conversion exceeding 125%.
Notable Equities Performance
Avalo Therapeutics, Inc. AVTX observed an impressive ascent of 384% to $22.98 following the acquisition of a Phase 2-ready anti-IL-1β mAb, AVTX-009. This acquisition was facilitated through the procurement of privately held AlmataBio. Moreover, Avalo Therapeutics announced a private placement financing valued at up to $185 million.
Shares of Xilio Therapeutics, Inc. XLO surged by 128% to $1.46 after disclosing an exclusive license agreement with Gilead Sciences for a tumor-activated IL-12 program. Additionally, the company highlighted a private placement equity financing round totaling $11.3 million.
Biodexa Pharmaceuticals Plc BDRX also experienced an upswing, with shares climbing 76% to $1.51 on the positive outcomes exhibited by MTX110 in extending life expectancy for aggressive brain cancers.
Declining Stocks Snapshot
Primech Holdings Ltd. PMEC observed a substantial decline of 64% to $1.3999 subsequent to issuing financial updates and corporate highlights for the six months ending Sept. 30, 2023.
Shares of urban-gro, Inc. UGRO dipped by 23% to $1.3898 post-releasing fourth-quarter financial results that underperformed expectations.
Data Storage Corporation DTST witnessed a 24% decrease to $5.80 subsequent to fourth-quarter results announcement.
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Commodity Market Trends
In the commodity sector, oil exhibited a 2.2% spike to $83.11, while gold experienced a 1.3% increase, reaching $2,241.80.
Silver showcased a 0.9% uptick to $24.975 on Thursday, with copper edging up by 0.3% to $4.0110.
Eurozone Market Overview
European markets closed on a positive note, with the STOXX 600 in the eurozone recording a 0.18% increase. The FTSE 100 in London surged by 0.26%, and the DAX in Germany witnessed a rise of 0.08%. Conversely, the IBEX 35 Index in Spain experienced a decline of 0.33%, the CAC 40 in France marked a 0.01% increase, and the FTSE MIB Index in Italy faced a downturn of 0.03%.
Bank lending to households within the Eurozone grew by 0.3% YoY to €6.87 trillion in February. Noteworthy manufacturing confidence index progress was noted in Italy, ascending to 88.6 in March from a revised reading of 87.5 in the previous month. In Germany, the jobless rate remained stable at 5.9% in March, coupled with a 1.9% month-over-month decline in retail sales for February.
The UK economy contracted by 0.2% YoY in the fourth quarter, while the current account deficit in the UK widened to £21.2 billion during the same period from a revised £18.5 billion in the previous quarter. UK car production exhibited an uptick of 14.6% YoY to 79,907 units in February.
Asia Pacific Market Insights
Asian markets concluded on a mostly positive note on Thursday, with the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong leading the gains by 0.91%. Notable movements included a 1.46% drop in Japan’s Nikkei 225, a 0.59% increase in China’s Shanghai Composite Index, and a 1.4% upsurge in India’s S&P BSE Sensex.
Singapore bank loans displayed growth, escalating to SGD 801.5 billion in February from SGD 794.3 billion the preceding month. The Domestic Supply Price Index in Singapore demonstrated a 2.8% YoY decline during February.
Economic Indicators Overview
The U.S. economy exhibited growth at an annualized rate of 3.4% in the fourth quarter, surpassing the previously reported 3.2%.
Initial jobless claims in the U.S. declined by 2,000 to 210,000 for the week ending March 23, compared to market estimates of 215,000.
The Chicago PMI reflected a decline to 41.4 in March from 44 in the previous month.
Pending home sales in the U.S. rose by 1.6% from the previous month in February, contrasting with a revised 4.7% decline seen in the preceding month.
Consumer sentiment at the University of Michigan soared to 79.4 in March compared to a preliminary reading of 76.5. Additionally, the number of active U.S. oil rigs fell by 3 according to Baker Hughes Inc report.
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