Dow Jones up 94
Tech stocks lag
Anthony Scaramucci leaves coms job
Wall Street shares were generally higher going into the close, with the Dow sailing higher though tech stocks lagged.
The Dow Jones is up 94 at the time of writing, at 21,924.
The broader based S&P 500 added 2.58 at 2,474.
The Nasdaq index lost almost 17 points to stand at 6,357.
Meanwhile, Toronto's biggest index - the TSX/S&P Composite was up 46 at 15,175.
The oil price is also higher, with US crude up over 1.05% to $50.23 a barrel, which gave oil stocks like Chevron Corp (NYSE:CVX) a boost. Its shares added 1.25% to $106.60.
In other news, White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci has left the job just- ten days after being appointed.
MID-SESSION
Wall Street shares were mixed at mid-session, but the Dow Jones hit new records but the tech heavy Nasdaq lagging.
The Dow Jones is up 81 at 21,912, while the Nasdaq was down 27 at 6,347 and the S&P 500 lost 0.17 at 2,471.
Investors are still enjoying the positive fall-out from all the second quarter earnings and ahead of economic data.
Wall Street is on track to close its strongest month since February this year.
In stocks, Dynavax Technologies Corp. (NYSE:DVAX) shares surged over 725 to $15.96 after a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee said the safety data for its Hepatitis B vaccination supported its approval.
$DVAX JPMorgan upgraded DVAX from Neutral to Overweight with a price target of $27.00 https://t.co/J2SegZGVGg
— Avinash Anantharamu (@naashonomics) July 31, 2017
The advisory committee voted 12 to 1 on the safety data, with three members abstaining.
A previous advisory committee had voted 13 to 1 in favor of the vaccine's ability to promote an immune response.
Dynavax was upgraded to overweight at J.P. Morgan with a US$27 price target and upgraded to outperform at RBC Capital Markets with a US$26 price target.
CDI Corp (NYSE:CDI) , the engineering and tech group, is up over 32% to $8.20 as the firm agreed to be acquired by AE Industrial Partners for $8.25 per share in cash.
Novan Inc (NASDAQ:NOVN) added over 16% to $6.35 on very little news, only that it was scheduled to host a conference call on August 2 for a progress update.
On the losing front, Invivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp (NASDAQ: NVIV) plunged over 24% to $1.85 as it issued an update on its INSPRE study. The group has temporary halted enrollment on the trial due to patient who passed away suddenly at a rehab facility following discharge from hospital.
OPEN
US shares were mixed at the open with the Dow Jones ahead over 62 points.
In London, FTSE 100 added almost 32 at 7,400.
Meanwhile, the S&P 500 added 1.12 at 2,473, while the tech heavy Nasdaq shed 8.47 at 6,366.
In Toronto, the TSX index gained over 43 points to go to 15,172.
US crude - West Texas Intermediate - lost 0.8% to US$49.31 a barrel.
On the Dow Industrials side, airplane company Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) added 1.40% to $244.65 and was top riser.
Microsoft Corp (NYSE:MSFT) was the biggest laggard - shedding 0.36% to stand at $72.78 each.
It comes as Boeing today said it was forecasting that India will require 2,100 new aircraft over the next 20 years, raising the figure from last year's forecast of 1,850 aircraft.
Last week, Boeing shares flew nearly 8% higher to a record high after it posted second-quarter profit and cash results that beat estimates, and lifted full-year forecasts.
Tomorrow, tech behemoth Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) will report.