Investors welcomed a strong election victory by Japan's ruling party by lifting the markets to a sharply higher open with the Dow climbing 90 points to 18,236. Nasdaq gained 32 points to 4,989.
On the upside
Sagent Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: SGNT) will be acquired by Nichi-Iko Pharmaceutical for a premium of approximately $736 million in cash.
BioLife Solutions (Nasdaq: BLFS) entered a ten-year agreement to supply Kite Pharma with CryoStor clinical grade freeze media for cells and tissues.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (Nasdaq: KTOS) received a $40.8 million contract to design, develop, deliver, demonstrate and test a technical baseline for a high-speed, long-range, low-cost, limited life-strike Unmanned Aerial Ssytem.
On the downside
Profit taking weighed down shares of Stamps.com (Nasdaq: STMP).
Investors locked in profits on Digital Ally (Nasdaq: DGLY).
Leidos (Nasdaq: LDOS) won a contract to provide technical solutions for the Electromagnetic Maneuver Warfare Command and Control program of the Office of Naval Research but the stock price fell as investors locked in profits.
In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of nearly 5 to 2 on the NYSE and by more than 2 to 1 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 gained 7 points to 2,137. Bitcoin rose $3 to $643.
