Active broad-market exchange-traded funds at mid-day:
SPDR S&P 500 (
SPY
): -0.43%
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index (
EEM
): -0.17%
Financial Select Sector SPDR (
XLF
): -0.73%
iPath S&P 500 VIX Short Term Futures (
VXX
): +0.4%, hit new 52week low
iShares Russell 2000 Index (
IWN
): -0.1%
Broad Market Indicators
Broad-market exchange-traded funds, including SPY, IWM, IVV and
others, continue to be mostly weaker. But the actively traded
PowerShares QQQ (QQQ) is now up 0.1%.
Most U.S. stocks are also in negative territory as worries about
the ongoing negotiations over the U.S. budget, and moves to avoid
the looming fiscal cliff continue to weigh on investors and
traders. In Europe, discussions among EU finance ministers
regarding the latest aid payment to Greece are set to continue
today, after last week's failure to iron out conditions with the
International Monetary Fund. Retailers are seeing some promise in
an upbeat start to the holiday shopping season, but doubts as to
how long this holiday sales momentum will last are putting a cap on
gains.
Winners and Losers
Financial -
Select Financial Sector SPDRs (
XLF
) is down 0.7%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X shares (FAS) is
down 1.8%. Its bearish counterpart, FAZ, is up 2%.
Among financial stocks, Knight Capital Group (KCG) is up around
15% and has touched above the $3 mark after Bloomberg reported the
company may receive acquisition bids as early as this week.
Technology -
Tech
ETFs
are mixed: Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK), now up 0.1%;
iShares Dow Jones US Technology ETF (IYW), up 0.4%; iShares S&P
North American Technology ETF (IGM), up 0.23%; and iShares S&P
North American Technology-Software Index (IGV), down 0.46%.
Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) is up
0.69% and Semiconductor Sector Index Fund (SOXX) is up 0.18%.
SPDR S&P International Technology Sector ETF (IPK) is down
0.31%.
In sector news, Nokia (NOK) is down 2% after reports that its
long-time head of imaging and photography Damian Dinning is
stepping down from his position effective Nov. 30, 2012. According
to finance and trading blog, The Markets Are Open, Dinning's
impending departure has caused a shake-up of the Finnish phone
maker's management.
Energy -
Dow Jones U.S. Energy Fund (IYE) is down 0.9%; Energy Select
Sector SPDR (XLE) is also down 0.9%.
In sector news, Magnum Hunter Resources (MHR) is up more than 5%
after it said that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bakken Hunter, LLC,
entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire existing
wells and about 20,000 net Williston Basin lease acres located in
Divide County, North Dakota, from Samson Resources Company for $30
million in cash. MHR currently owns 47.5% working interest in the
properties being acquired, and upon closing, the company will have
varied working ownership interests in the properties up to
approximately 100%. MHR will become operator of that portion of the
acquired properties which is currently being operated by Samson
Resources Company. In addition to the acreage being acquired, the
company is also acquiring approximately 310,000 barrels of oil
equivalent of proved developed producing reserves and approximately
192 net barrels of oil equivalent production per day.
Commodities -
Crude was down 0.61%; natural gas was down 3.52%. United States
Oil Fund (USO) is down 0.4%. United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG)
is down 3.8%.
Gold was down 0.10% while silver was down 0.15%. Among rare
metal funds, SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) is down 0.02%; iShares Silver
Trust (SLV) is up 0.03%.
Healthcare -
Healthcare ETFs are lower: Health Care SPDR (XLV), down 0.7%;
Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT), down 0.7%; and iShares Dow Jones US
Healthcare (IYH), down 0.45%. Biotech ETF iShares NASDAQ
Biotechnology Index (IBB) is down 1%.
In corporate news, Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT) is up 5% and went
even a bit higher after it announced a collaboration for the
development of an additional exon-skipping drug targeting exon 53,
its fourth drug in development, in support of Sarepta's broad-based
program for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
Sarepta's collaboration is with University College London's (UCL)
scientist, Professor Francesco Muntoni, MD, the Dubowitz
Neuromuscular Centre, the Institute of Child Health and other
scientists from the EU and US.
Power Play -
Retail ETFs are weaker: SPDR S&P Retail (XRT), down 1.3%;
PowerShares Dynamic Retail (PMR), down 0.9%; and Market Vectors
Retail ETF (RTH), down 2% at new 52 week lows.
In sector news, Zhongpin (HOGS) is up 15.5% and has touched a
fresh new 52-week high of $12.68. The company earlier said it
entered into a definitive agreement and plan of merger with Golden
Bridge Holdings Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company, Golden
Bridge Merger Sub Limited, a Delaware corporation and wholly owned
subsidiary of Parent and Xianfu Zhu, the company's Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer.