Mid-Day Market Update: Crude Oil Surges 3.5%; Gulfport Energy Shares Plunge

Midway through trading Monday, the Dow traded up 1.49% to 29,919.25 while the NASDAQ rose 0.75% to 11,917.59. The S&P also rose, gaining 1.1% to 3,624.10.

The U.S. has the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the world, reporting a total of 11,038,310 cases with around 246,220 deaths. India confirmed a total of at least 8,845,120 confirmed cases and 130,070 deaths, while Brazil reported over 5,863,090 COVID-19 cases with 165,790 deaths. In total, there were at least 54,482,440 cases of COVID-19 worldwide with over 1,318,610 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Leading and Lagging Sectors

Energy shares climbed 5.5% on Monday. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation PNRG, up 18%, and GasLog Partners LP GLOP, up 14%.

In trading on Monday, health care shares fell by 0.2%.

Top Headline

Moderna Inc MRNA announced on Monday the results from phase 3 trials for the COVID-19 vaccine show the vaccine is 94.5% effective.

This comes just one week after Pfizer PFE and BioNTech's BNTX vaccine candidate showed a 90% efficacy rate..

Equities Trading UP

Alterity Therapeutics Limited ATHE shares shot up 130% to $2.65 as the Australian biopharma said the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has approved a new composition of matter patent related to its drug development portfolio focused on neurodegenerative diseases.

Shares of Foundation Building Materials, Inc. FBM got a boost, shooting 26% to $19.14 after the company announced it would be acquired by American Securities for $19.25 per share.

Maiden Holdings, Ltd. MHLD shares were also up, gaining 31% to $1.80 after reporting Q3 results.

Equities Trading DOWN

Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company HOFV shares tumbled 55% to $1.13 after the company reported pricing of $25 million public offering at $1.40 per share.

Shares of RAPT Therapeutics, Inc. RAPT were down 47% to $16.01 after the company reported Q3 earnings results and positive initial data from its ongoing phase 1/2 clinical trial of FLX475.

Gulfport Energy Corporation GPOR was down, falling 47% to $0.1272 after the company filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.

Commodities

In commodity news, oil traded up 3.5% to $41.52, while gold traded up 0.4% to $1,893.50

Silver traded up 0.3% Monday to $24.85 while copper rose 1.5% to $3.2245.

Euro zone

European shares were higher today. The eurozone’s STOXX 600 rose 1.18%, the Spanish Ibex Index rose 2.6%, while Italy’s FTSE MIB Index gained 1.98%. Meanwhile, the German DAX 30 gained 0.47%, French CAC 40 gained 1.7% and London’s FTSE 100 rose 1.66%.

Consumer prices in Italy fell 0.3% year-over-year in October versus a 0.6% drop in the prior month.

Economics

The New York Empire State Manufacturing Index declined to 6.3 in November versus 10.5 in October.

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President Mary Daly is set to speak at 1:45 p.m. ET.

Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Richard Clarida will speak at 2:00 p.m. ET.