The markets opened higher with the Dow gaining 25 points to 20,529 as January retail sales rose more than expected. Nasdaq added 2 points to 5,785.
On the upside
The Food and Drug Administration exempted Evoke Pharma's (Nasdaq: EVOK) Gimoti from a Human Factors Validation study requirement.
Fortress Investment Group (NYSE: FIG) will be acquired by SoftBank for a premium of approximately $3.3 billion in cash.
Groupon (Nasdaq: GRPN) reported higher revenue for the fourth quarter.
On the downside
Wells Fargo downgraded Fossil Group (Nasdaq: FOSL) from a Market Perform rating to an Underperform rating.
AIG (NYSE: AIG) widened losses significantly for the fourth quarter.
Sino-Global Shipping America (Nasdaq: SINO) announced a $4.77 million registered direct offering.
In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of nearly 10 to 9 on the NYSE and by more than 10 to 9 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 index eased a fraction to 2,336. Bitcoin held steady at $1,002.