Mid-Afternoon Market Update: Dow Drops 50 Points; TRC Companies Shares Spike Higher

Toward the end of trading Friday, the Dow traded down 0.24 percent to 20,678.49 while the NASDAQ rose 0.07 percent to 5,918.43. The S&P also fell, dropping 0.10 percent to 2,365.79.

Leading and Lagging Sectors

Friday afternoon, the utilities sector proved to be a source of strength for the market. Leading the sector was strength from American Midstream Partners LP AMID and Cia Energetica de Minas Gerais CEMIG-ADR. CIG.

In trading on Friday, healthcare shares fell 0.19 percent. Meanwhile, top losers in the sector included Acorda Therapeutics Inc ACOR, down 26 percent, and II-VI, Inc. IIVI, down 4 percent.

Top Headline

BlackBerry Ltd BBRY reported stronger-than-expected earnings for its fourth quarter on Friday.

BlackBerry reported a $0.04 per share profit in the fourth quarter, marking an improvement from a $0.03 per share loss a year ago. Revenue for the quarter was $297 million (GAAP revenue of $286 million), of which 80 percent of sales came from Software & Services segment revenue. Analysts were expecting earnings at $0.00 per share on revenue of $289.3 million.

Looking forward to fiscal 2018, BlackBerry expects to grow its business at or above the overall market in the software business. The company expects to be profitable on a non-GAAP basis and to generate positive free cash flow for the full fiscal year.

Equities Trading UP

Akari Therapeutics PLC (ADR) AKTX shares shot up 45 percent to $10.16 after the company disclosed that the FDA has granted Fast Track designation for Coversin.

Shares of Sorl Auto Parts, Inc. SORL got a boost, shooting up 18 percent to $3.84. SORL Auto Parts reported Q4 earnings of $0.43 per share on revenue of $82.9 million.

TRC Companies, Inc. TRR shares were also up, gaining 46 percent to $17.40 after the company agreed to be acquired New Mountain Partners IV, L.P. in a deal valued at $17.55 per share.

Equities Trading DOWN

DarioHealth Corp DRIO shares dropped 25 percent to $3.00 after the company reported a shelf offering of common stock.

Shares of Bioline RX Ltd BLRX were down around 17 percent to $0.951. BioLineRx reported an underwritten public offering of American Depositary Shares.

Forward Pharma A/S FWP was down, falling around 20 percent to $21.51 on news of Biogen Inc BIIB’s patent victory over the active ingredient in their competing multiple sclerosis treatments. Biogen popped 1.5 percent on the news.

Commodities

In commodity news, oil traded up 0.56 percent to $50.63 while gold traded up 0.30 percent to $1,246.90.

Silver traded up 0.30 percent Friday to $18.26, while copper fell 0.47 percent to $2.66.

Eurozone

European shares closed mostly higher today. The eurozone’s STOXX 600 gained 0.18 percent, the Spanish Ibex Index rose 0.55 percent, while Italy’s FTSE MIB Index rose 0.61 percent. Meanwhile the German DAX gained 0.46 percent, and the French CAC 40 climbed 0.65 percent while U.K. shares fell 0.63 percent.

Economics

Personal income rose 0.4 percent in February, versus economists’ expectations for a 0.4 percent growth. Consumer spending gained 0.1 percent for February, versus estimates for a 0.2 percent growth

The Chicago PMI increased to 57.7 in March, versus 57.4 in February. Economists projected a reading of 56.9.

The final reading of University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index declined to 96.90 in March, versus a prior reading of 97.60. Economists were expecting a reading of 97.60.