The markets opened flat with the Dow adding 1 point to 10,754 as home construction posted a surprise gain but the increase was fueled by apartments and condominiums rather than single family homes. Nasdaq eased 2 points to 2353.
On the upside
Vivus (Nasdaq: VVUS) reported significant weight loss in patients from a two-year clinical trial of its obesity treatment Qnexa .
Third quarter earnings for Carnival (NYSE: CCL) rose to top estimates prompting the cruise line to lift its full year outlook.
Uranium Resources (NYSE: URRE) can now complete a feasibility study on its Church Crown Project after legal opponents failed to appeal a court decision allowing exploration on the land.
On the downside
Cypress Sharpridge (NYSE: CYS) priced its public offering of 13 million common shares at $12.95 per share.
Hatteras Financial (NYSE: HTS priced its offering of 6.5 million common shares at $28.75 per share.
Nokia (NYSE: NOK) announced another delay to the launch of its latest N8 smartphone.
In the broad market, declining issues outpaced advancers by a margin of 5 to 3 on the NYSE and by nearly 5 to 3 on Nasdaq. The Russell 2000 which tracks small cap stocks fell 3 points to 666.
