Mid-Day Market Update: Crude Oil Rises Over 2%; Apellis Pharmaceuticals Shares Plunge

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. (NASDAQ:METC), up 9% and Lithium Americas Corp. (NYSE:LAC) up 12%.

In trading on Friday, utilities shares fell by 1%.

Top Headline

The Kroger Co. (NYSE: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. (NASDAQ: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. (NASDAQ: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 (NASDAQ: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. (NASDAQ: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. (NASDAQ:LAKE) were down 15% to $20.23 after reporting downbeat Q2 sales.

Impel NeuroPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: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.

Check out the full economic calendar here

KRThe Kroger Co

$64.36-0.16%

Overview

LACLithium Americas Corp

$4.283.13%

LAKELakeland Industries Inc

$11.32-0.26%

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