Mid-Morning Market Update: Markets Open Higher; Staples Plans To Close 225 Stores

Following the market opening Thursday, the Dow traded up 0.47 percent to 16,437.69 while the NASDAQ gained 0.20 percent to 4,366.53. The S&P also rose, surging 0.38 percent to 1,880.87.

Leading and Lagging Sectors
In trading on Thursday, basic materials shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 0.83 percent. Among the leading sector stocks, gains came from Axiall AXLL, Materion MTRN, Huntsman HUN and Joy Global JOY.

Utilities sector was the leading decliner in the US market today. Top decliners in the sector included Artesian Resources ARTNA, off 2.2 percent, and South Jersey Industries SJI, down 1.2 percent.

Top Headline
Staples SPLS reported weaker-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter earnings and announced its plans to close 225 stores by 2015. Staples posted its quarterly earnings of $212 million, or $0.33 per share, up from $90 million, or $0.14 per share, in the year-earlier quarter. On an adjusted basis, it earned $0.33 per share, versus analysts' estimates of $0.38 per share. Its sales fell to $5.87 billion from $6.57 billion. For the first quarter, Staples projects its sales to drop from the year-earlier period. It also expects earnings of $0.17 to $0.22 per share. Staples also announced its plans to pay a Q1 dividend of $0.12 per share.

Equities Trading UP
Sangamo Biosciences SGMO shot up 16.57 percent to $22.86 as the company announced that first-in-man study of genome editing using Sangamo's ZFN technology published In NEJM.

Shares of Agios Pharmaceuticals AGIO got a boost, shooting up 10.15 percent to $34.85 after the company reported quarterly results.

Stage Stores SSI was also up, gaining 9.82 percent to $21.69 after the company reported Q4 results and announced the sale of its Steele's off-price division to a new retail unit of Hilco Global.

Equities Trading DOWN
Shares of Staples SPLS were down 11.42 percent to $11.87 after the company reported weaker-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter earnings and announced its plans to close 225 stores by 2015.

The Children's Place Retail Stores PLCE shares tumbled 9.91 percent to $49.28 after the company reported an 18% drop in its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings and issued a weak outlook.

Costco Wholesale COST was down, falling 2.77 percent to $113.24 after the company reported a 15% drop in its fiscal second-quarter profit.

Commodities
In commodity news, oil traded down 0.64 percent to $100.80, while gold traded down 0.34 percent to $1,335.80.

Silver traded down 0.36 percent Thursday to $21.20, while copper rose 0.11 percent to $3.21.

Eurozone
European shares were mostly higher today.

The Spanish Ibex Index rose 0.98 percent, while Italy's FTSE MIB Index surged 0.74 percent.

Meanwhile, the German DAX dropped 0.27 percent and the French CAC 40 climbed 0.44 percent while U.K. shares gained 0.09 percent.

Economics
US jobless claims dropped by 26,000 to 323,000 in the week ended March 1. However, economists were projecting claims to total 336,000 in the week.

US productivity rose at an annual rate of 1.8% in the fourth quarter, versus a prior reading of a 3.2% gain.

Unit-labor costs declined 0.1%, versus a prior reading of a 1.6% drop.

Announced layoffs fell to 42,000 in February, versus 45,000 in January, outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported. US factory orders declined 0.70% in January, versus economists' expectations for a 0.50% drop.

The Treasury is set to auction 3-and 6-month bills. The Treasury will also auction 3-and 10-year notes.

Data on money supply will be released at 4:30 p.m. ET.