The markets opened higher on the first trading day of 2015 with the Dow climbing 77 points to 17,900. Nasdaq gained 17 points to 4,753.
On the upside
Shares of Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (Nasdaq: BCLI) extended its gains.
Linn Energy (Nasdaq: LINE) slashed its capital budget for 2015 by 53% and cut its annual distribution from $2.90 to $1.25 per unit.
Perfect World (Nasdaq: PWRD) founder and chairman Michael Yufeng Chi offered a premium of $20 per American Depositary Share to take the company private.
On the downside
Falling crude oil prices weighed down shares of Petrobras (NYSE: PBR).
MiMedx (Nasdaq: MDXG) received a subpoena from the Health and Human Services Department in relation to an investigation into its sales and marketing practices.
Harvest Natural (NYSE: HNR) terminated an agreement to sell its remaining interests in Venezuela.
In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of more than 3 to 2 on both the NYSE and on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 rose 4 points to 2063. Bitcoin added $1 at $315.
Higher open on first trading day of 2015
January 02, 2015 at 09:42 AM EST
