The markets opened higher with the Dow climbing 93 points to 18,223 over expectations that interest rates will remain steady. Nasdaq gained 34 points to 5,275
On the upside
Stifel Nicolaus upgraded Conn's (Nasdaq: CONN) from a Hold rating to a Buy rating.
Eleven Biotherapeutics (Nasdaq: EBIO) acquired Viventia Bio in an all stock deal.
Nomura lowered its price target on Huntsman (NYSE: HUN) from $20 to $19 but the stock price rose.
On the downside
Morgan Stanley downgraded Skechers (NYSE: SKX) from an Overweight rating to an Equal Weight rating and slashed its price target from $41 to $25.
CarMax (NYSE: KMX) reported second quarter earnings and revenue that fell short of expectations.
Shares of Ascena Retail Group (Nasdaq: ASNA) extended its losses.
In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced advancers by a margin of nearly 1 on the NYSE and by nearly 3 to 1 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 climbed 11 points to 2,151. Bitcoin dropped $10 to $597.
