The markets opened mixed with the Dow dropping 73 points to 17,641 while Nasdaq gained 14 points to 5,083 as crude oil prices edged up.
On the upside
Dow Chemical (NYSE: DOW) and E.I. du Pont de Nemours (NYSE: DD) engaged in discussions for a possible merger.
SunEdison (NYSE: SUNE) reduced the cash portion of its offer to acquire Vivint Solar (NYSE: VSLR).
Vera Bradley (Nasdaq: VRA) reported higher third quarter earnings and revenue that beat expectations.
On the downside
Aeterna Zentaris (Nasdaq: AEZS) priced its public offering of common stock and warrants at the discounted price of $5.55 per unit.
Costco Wholesale (Nasdaq: COST) disappointed with lower first quarter earnings that fell short of expectations.
Oncothyreon (Nasdaq: ONTY) presented updated data from ongoing trials of its HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer treatment ONT-380.
In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of nearly 2 to 1 on the NYSE and by more than 10 to 9 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 slipped 2 points to 2,061. Bitcoin surged $24 to $418.
