Strong private payroll job growth boosted the markets to a sharply higher open with the Dow leaping 173 points to 20,862. Nasdaq climbed 26 points to 5,925.
On the upside
Plug Power (Nasdaq: PLUG) will provide its hydrogen fuel cell technology to select Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) fulfillment centers.
Panera Bread (Nasdaq: PNRA) will be taken private by JAB Holdings in an all cash transaction valued at approximately $7.5 billion.
Neothetics (Nasdaq: NEOT) received a patent for specific methods of using LIPO-202 and other agents for the reduction of fat accumulation.
On the downside
Unilife (Nasdaq: UNIS) warned that the company does not have sufficient liquidity to operate beyond April 7, 2017.
DryShips (Nasdaq: DRYS) extended its losses.
Investors locked in profits on Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: CYCC).
In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of nearly 7 to 2 on both the NYSE and on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 index soared 17 points to 2,377. Bitcoin fell $13 to $1122.
