The Dow is up over 660 points midday
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) is up over 660 points at last check, extending this morning's gains and pacing for its biggest one-day jump in almost four months. The Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) and S&P 500 Index (SPX) are also firmly in the black, with the former boosted by a rebound in Big Tech as bond yields continue to cool. Optimism surrounding the emergency relief bill just passed by Congress is lifting the broader market today, along with Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ) newly approved Covid-19 vaccine. The company expects to ship four million doses immediately.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
- Bank stock receives bull notes after new CEO buzz.
- Sparks fly for Plug Power stock on analyst praise.
- Plus, analyst thinks WBT could double; MORF soars on trial results; and Ontrak stock drops after earnings.
One stock on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) seeing an enormous amount of bullish options activity today is Welbilt Inc (NYSE:WBT). So far, 14,000 calls have crossed the tape, 13 times what's typically seen at this point, in comparison to just 50 puts. The most popular is the January 2022 20-strike call, followed by the 25-strike call in the same series. The equity is up 3.7% to trade at $16.57, after a price-target hike from BMO to $17 from $8.50. Steadily climbing on the charts, with support from the 40-day moving average, WBT is up 25.5% year-to-date.
One stock surging higher today is Morphic Holding Inc (NASDAQ:MORF), up 86% to trade at $67.28 at last check. Today's meteoric rise comes after the pharmaceutical company announced positive results from a phase 1 trial of MORF-057, its experimental drug for inflammatory bowel disease (IBS). Soaring to a new record high, the stock is currently up 332% year-over-year.
Conversely, falling lower on the Nasdaq today is Ontrak Inc (NASDAQ:OTRK). The security is down 47% to trade at $31.18 at last look, despite the healthcare company's better-than-anticipated fourth-quarter report. The company did report the loss of its largest customer, which will go into effect June 26. To follow, RBC downgraded the stock to "sector perform" from "outperform," with a price-target cut all the way to $32 from $82. Now gapping to its lowest levels since July, OTRK is still up 104% year-over-year.