The markets started the week higher as bank stocks finally saw a bounce. The Dow was up 188, the S&P 500 added 20, and the Nasdaq 100 gained 51. Earnings will be the focus this week as there are many names scheduled. In addition investors will get a look at the beige book on Wednesday along with unemployment claims and retail numbers later in the week.
Eli Lily (LLY ) suffered a sharp move lower today when news broke that the FDA rejected the company's drug to treat arthritis, citing "safety concerns." Wall Street analysts were very optimistic on this drug thinking that it would earn more than a billion dollars in sales by 2020. Lilly said Friday that the FDA needed additional data to "characterize safety concerns across treatment arms" and to determine "the most appropriate doses." Investors didn't completely walk away from the stock though. Shares opened lower by over 5% but found buyers and closed well off its lows of the day.
United Airlines (UAL ) was back in the news again today as the company announced it would be changing its policy on giving its staff last minute seats on full flights. This move comes after the now world famous video of security dragging a passenger off one of its flights last week. United will now allocate seats at least an hour before departure. Investors will be listening intently for more information as the company will report its first quarter earnings after the close today.
Amazon (AMZN ) shares were higher today as it was reported by the New York Post that the company may be interested in buying BJ's Wholesale Club. BJ's was had intended to go public this year but decided to scrap those plans due to "concerns about a slowdown in the retail sector." Reporters have been trying to get a response from either company today but as of now there has been no official comment from Amazon, or BJ's.