Midway through trading Friday, the Dow traded down 0.40% to 34,739.37 while the NASDAQ fell 0.06% to 15,238.92. The S&P also fell, dropping 0.21% to 4,483.84.
The U.S. has the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the world, reporting a total of 40,606,090 cases with around 654,620 deaths. India confirmed a total of at least 33,174,950 cases and 442,000 deaths, while Brazil reported over 20,958,890 COVID-19 cases with 585,170 deaths. In total, there were at least 223,266,160 cases of COVID-19 worldwide with more than 4,607,520 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Leading and Lagging Sectors
Materials shares gained 0.3% on Friday. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Ramaco Resources, Inc. METC, up 9% and Lithium Americas Corp. LAC up 12%.
In trading on Friday, utilities shares fell by 1%.
Top Headline
The Kroger Co. KR reported better-than-expected results for its second quarter on Friday.
Kroger reported quarterly earnings of $0.80 per share, beating analysts’ estimates of $0.64 per share. The company’s quarterly sales came in at $31.68 billion, versus expectations of $30.68 billion.
Kroger said it sees FY21 earnings of $3.25 to $3.35 per share, versus analysts’ estimates of $3.06 per share.
Equities Trading UP
IVERIC bio, Inc. ISEE shares shot up 56% to $13.53 after Apellis Pharmaceuticals reported results from its Phase 3 DERBY and OAKS studies in geographic atrophy. IVERIC Bio, a competitor to Apellis, is also working on a product to treat geographic atrophy, called Zimura. Stifel initiated coverage on IVERIC bio with a Buy rating and announced a price target of $22.
Shares of Echo Global Logistics, Inc. ECHO got a boost, shooting 54% to $48.18 after the company agreed to be acquired by private equity firm The Jordan Company.
Endo International plc ENDP shares were also up, gaining 46% to $3.0650 after the company said it has settled three consolidated opioid cases pending in Suffolk County Supreme Court in the State of New York. As a result of the settlement, Endo has been severed from the trial.
Check out these big movers of the day
Equities Trading DOWN
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. APLS shares tumbled 49% to $28.53 after the company reported mixed top-line results from the Phase 3 DERBY and OAKS studies evaluating intravitreal pegcetacoplan in 1,258 adults with geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration. The OAKS study met the primary endpoint for both monthly and every-other-month treatment with pegcetacoplan, demonstrating a significant reduction in GA lesion growth of 22% and 16%, respectively, compared to pooled sham at 12 months. However the DERBY study did not meet the primary endpoint of GA lesion growth, showing a reduction of 12% and 11%, with monthly and every-other-month treatment, respectively, compared to pooled sham at 12 months.
Shares of Lakeland Industries, Inc. LAKE were down 15% to $20.23 after reporting downbeat Q2 sales.
Impel NeuroPharma, Inc. IMPL was down, falling 20% to $16.98 after the company reported pricing of $45.0 million public offering.
Commodities
In commodity news, oil traded up 2.3% to $69.67, while gold traded down 0.1% to $1,798.30.
Silver traded down 0.1% Friday to $24.145 while copper rose 4.3% to $4.4690.
Euro zone
European shares were mostly lower today. The eurozone’s STOXX 600 slipped 0.32%, the Spanish Ibex Index fell 1.35% and the German DAX 30 dropped 0.2%. Meanwhile, the London’s FTSE 100 fell 0.11%, French CAC 40 slipped 0.35% and Italy’s FTSE MIB slipped 0.87%.
French industrial production increased 0.3% in July, while Italy's industrial production rose 0.8% from a month ago in July. Annual consumer price inflation rate in Germany was confirmed at 3.9% in August.
The UK GDP expanded by 3.6% during the three months to July, while industrial production rose 1.2% in July. The UK trade deficit increased to GBP 3.1 billion in July from GBP 2.5 billion in the earlier month. Imports to the UK rose 1.1%, while exports slipped 0.1% from the previous month in July.
Economics
Producer prices for final demand rose 0.7% in August.
US wholesale inventories rose 0.6% month-over-month to $722 billion in July.
The Baker Hughes North American rig count report for the latest week is scheduled for release at 1:00 p.m. ET.
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