Mid-Afternoon Market Update: Crude Oil Down 0.8%; Kazia Therapeutics Shares Spike Higher

Toward the end of trading Wednesday, the Dow traded up 0.11 percent to 24,774.39 while the NASDAQ climbed 0.12 percent to 6,944.82. The S&P also rose, gaining 0.10 percent to 2,683.22.

Leading and Lagging Sectors

Wednesday afternoon, the utilities sector proved to be a source of strength for the market. Leading the sector was strength from Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. CWCO and TransAlta Corporation (USA) TAC.

In trading on Wednesday, telecommunications services shares fell 0.24 percent. Meanwhile, top losers in the sector included Mobil'nye Telesistemy PAO (ADR) MBT, down 7 percent, and B Communications Ltd BCOM down 5 percent.

Top Headline

HTG Molecular Diagnostics Inc HTGM shares are up 12 percent after the company reported an expansion of collaboration with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany related to Assay development and the manufacturing of kits supporting research programs.

The master collaboration includes a statement of work with EMD Serono, the biopharmaceutical division of Merck.

Equities Trading UP

Energous Corp WATT shares shot up 81 percent to $16.00 after the company reported that it has received FCC certification for over-the-air, power-at-a-distance wireless charging.

Shares of Lightbridge Corp LTBR got a boost, shooting up 61 percent to $1.84.

Kazia Therapeutics Ltd (ADR) KZIA shares were also up, gaining 19 percent to $3.13 following news of formation of collaboration to support future development of Noxopharm's lead program, NOX66.

Equities Trading DOWN

Future Fintech Group Inc FTFT shares dropped 16 percent to $5.27 after jumping 43.45 percent on Tuesday.

Shares of Aptose Biosciences Inc APTO were down 10 percent to $2.07. Aptose Biosciences shares gained 29.78 percent Tuesday after the company disclosed that the FDA has granted orphan drug designation to CG'806.

One Horizon Group Inc OHGI was down, falling around 7 percent to $1.58 following S-3 showing registration for 2.33 million common share offering via selling holders.

Commodities

In commodity news, oil traded down 0.80 percent to $59.49 while gold traded up 0.27 percent to $1,291.00.

Silver traded up 1.03 percent Wednesday to $16.775, while copper rose 0.20 percent to $3.287.

Eurozone

European shares closed mixed today. The eurozone’s STOXX 600 gained 0.10 percent, the Spanish Ibex Index fell 0.16 percent, while Italy’s FTSE MIB Index fell 0.04 percent. Meanwhile the German DAX slipped 0.02 percent, and the French CAC 40 rose 0.08 percent while U.K. shares rose 0.37 percent.

Economics

The Johnson Redbook Retail Sales Index rose 0.1 percent during the first four weeks of December versus November.

The Conference Board consumer confidence index declined to 122.10 in December, versus prior reading of 129.50. Economists expected a reading of 128.10.

The pending home sales index rose 0.2 percent for November, versus economists’ expectations for a 0.4 percent drop.