US markets end higher as upbeat reports on coronavirus vaccine

16 Jul 2020 Evaluate

The US Markets ended higher, extending their previous session gains, as investors focused on COVID-19 vaccine hopes and early signs of an upswing in business activity during the pandemic. Biotech firm Moderna (MRNA) said its experimental vaccine for COVID-19 was safe and produced strong immune responses in all 45 patients in an ongoing early-stage human trial. An interim analysis of the open-label Phase 1 study of the vaccine candidate was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Further, investors also bid equities higher as the first few corporate earnings reports for the second quarter have come in better than expected, even as the number of coronavirus cases rise in many US states. 

On the economic data front, Industrial production in the US spiked by even more than anticipated in the month of June, according to a report released by the Federal Reserve. The report said industrial production soared by 5.4 percent in June after jumping by 1.4 percent in May. Street had expected production to surge up by 4.3 percent. Despite the substantial increase, the Fed noted industrial production remained 10.9 percent below its pre-pandemic February level. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released a report showing New York manufacturing activity expanded in the month of July. The New York Fed said its general business conditions soared to a positive 17.2 in July from a negative 0.2 in June, with a positive reading indicating growth in regional manufacturing activity. Street had expected the index to jump to 10.0.

Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 227.51 points or 0.85 percent to 26,870.1, Nasdaq gained 61.92 points or 0.59 percent 10,550.49 and S&P 500 was up by 29.04 points or 0.91 percent to 3,226.56.

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