The markets closed flat with the Dow slipping 3 points to 18,120 despite a strong gain in home builder sentiment. Nasdaq lost 9 points to 5,235.
On the upside
The Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to Sarepta Therapeutics' (Nasdaq: SRPT) Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment eteplirsen.
Tech Data (Nasdaq: TECD) paid approximately $2.6 billion in cash and stock to acquire the technology solutions business of Avnet (NYSE: AVT).
The accelerated approval of Sarepta's (Nasdaq: SRPT) eteplirsen raised expectations for a swift approval of PTC Therapeutics' (Nasdaq: PTCT) nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment Translarna.
On the downside
CVR Refining (Nasdaq: CVRR) entered a joint venture with Velocity Midstream Partners to construct a crude oil pipeline from the South Central Oklahoma Oil Province to CVR Refining's Wynnewood Oklahoma refinery.
Shares of Eleven Biotherapeutics (Nasdaq: EBIO) fell for the fifth day.
Investors locked in profits on Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL).
In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of more than 2 to 1 on the NYSE and by more than 7 to 5 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 held steady at 2,139. Bitcoin added $1 to $609.