The markets closed mixed with the Dow slipping 22 points to 17,895 as falling crude oil prices tempered enthusiasm for a drop in jobless claims. Nasdaq rose 17 points to 4,876.
On the upside
Cobalt International Energy (NYSE: CIE) named David D. Powell to the position of chief financial officer and executive vice president.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed a Medicare hospital outpatient rate of $150,000 for Second Sight Medical Products' (Nasdaq: EYES) Argus II.
EZCORP (Nasdaq: EZPW) will sell Prestaciones Finmart to Alpha Holdings for approximately $50 million.
On the downside
The Justice Department will meet with representatives from Humana (NYSE: HUM) and Aetna (NYSE: AET) to discuss their planned merger.
UBS downgraded Depomed (Nasdaq: DEPO) from a Buy rating to a Neutral rating.
Retreating crude oil prices weighed down shares of SM Energy (NYSE: SM).
In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of more than 10 to 9 on the NYSE and by more than 9 to 7 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 slipped a point to 2,097. Bitcoin plummeted $56 to $611.
