The markets opened lower with the Dow slipping 23 points to 19,922 as pending home sales dropped 2.5% in November. Nasdaq fell 27 points to 5,459.
On the upside
Galena Biopharma (Nasdaq: GALE) will advance its GALE-401 into a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial.
Shares of Dataram (Nasdaq: DRAM) advanced for the third day in a row.
Live Ventures (Nasdaq: LIVE) reported record earnings and revenue for 2016 and expects continued growth in 2017.
On the downside
Anthera Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ANTH) reported disappointing results from a Phase 3 SOLUTION clinical study in cystic fibrosis patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
Investors locked in profits on Conatus Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: CNAT).
Profit taking weighed down shares of Intrepid Potash (NYSE: IPI).
In the broad market, declining issues outpaced advancers by a margin of more than 2 to 1 on the NYSE and by nearly 5 to 2 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 index lost 8 points to 2,260. Bitcoin gained $13 to $933.
