A greater than expected increase in jobless claims weighed the markets down during the midday with the Dow slipping 29 points to 17,954. Nasdaq held steady at 4,776.
On the upside
The UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency validated the Marketing Authorization Application for RedHill Biopharma’s (Nasdaq: RDHL) BEKINDA to treat chemotherapy and radiotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
Resolute Energy (NYSE: REN) entered a $150 million second lien secured term loan.
Shares of Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (Nasdaq: BCLI) rose ahead of the release of results from a Phase 2a clinical trial of its ALS treatment NurOwn on Monday.
On the downside
Falling crude oil prices weighed down shares of onshore well services provider Key Energy Services (NYSE: KEG).
Investors locked in profits on Alpha Natural Resources (NYSE: ANR).
Shares of Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX) and Kinross Gold (NYSE: KGC) fell as gold prices slipped.
In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of nearly 5 to 4 on the NYSE and by more than 5 to 4 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 slipped 3 points to 2076. Bitcoin rose $4 at $315.