U.S. stock markets ended Monday on a positive note, with the Nasdaq Composite leading the charge. The tech-heavy index gained around 150 points, representing a 0.87% increase, closing at 17,785.49. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also rose, climbing 0.37% to 40,809.60. The S&P 500 followed suit, gaining 0.64% to reach 5,589.66.
Several companies experienced significant stock price fluctuations throughout the day, driven by a mix of factors including earnings reports, partnerships, and regulatory approvals. Here are some noteworthy examples:
Equities Trading UP
*
Alzamend Neuro, Inc. (ALZN)
shares surged an astounding 474% to $11.66 after the company announced a partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital as its contract research organization. This collaboration will facilitate a Phase II clinical study of AL001, a potential treatment for patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).*
Virax Biolabs Group Limited (VRAX)
shares witnessed a significant jump of 197%, reaching $6.32. This surge was fueled by continued strength in vaccine and mpox-related stocks, following the World Health Organization’s declaration of mpox as a global health emergency last week.*
Sonder Holdings Inc. (SOND)
shares also saw a substantial increase, gaining 98% to $5.17. This positive movement was triggered by the company’s announcement of a long-term licensing agreement with Marriott and the securing of an additional $146 million in liquidity.Equities Trading DOWN
*
Liquidia Corporation (LQDA)
shares fell 29% to $9.99. The company reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted tentative approval of YUTREPIA inhalation powder for treating adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease.*
Theriva Biologics, Inc. (TOVX)
shares experienced a significant decline of 33%, reaching $0.1350. This downturn followed the company’s announcement of a 1-for-25 reverse stock split.*
Cingulate Inc. (CING)
shares dropped 30% to $12.33 after the company increased the maximum offering price for common stock under its sales agreement from $8.47 million to $11.33 million.Commodities
In the commodities market, oil prices declined by 2.4%, closing at $74.83 per barrel. Gold prices, on the other hand, rose 0.2% to reach $2,541.60 per ounce. Silver prices also saw an increase, rising 1.7% to $29.325 per ounce. Copper prices also moved upward, gaining 0.8% to $4.1780 per pound.
European Markets
European stock markets closed higher on Monday. The Eurozone’s STOXX 600 index gained 0.61%, Germany’s DAX index rose 0.54%, and France’s CAC 40 index climbed 0.70%. Spain’s IBEX 35 Index saw a more significant increase, gaining 1.40%, while London’s FTSE 100 rose 0.55%. Spain’s trade deficit narrowed to EUR 0.7 billion in June, compared to EUR 2.4 billion in the same month last year.
Asia Pacific Markets
Asian markets closed mixed on Monday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.77%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.80%. China’s Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.49%, and India’s BSE Sensex fell 0.02% for the day.
Economics
The Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index (LEI) fell 0.6% month-over-month in July, exceeding market expectations of a 0.4% decline. This data point provides insights into the potential direction of the U.S. economy in the coming months.
