The Dow is eyeing a muted 17-point drop
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) is quietly lower at midday, looking to end the final session of 2021 with a muted 17-point loss. The S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) are also trading slightly below breakeven, with the latter set to string its fourth consecutive dip. All three major indexes are still headed for weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly wins, though. Meanwhile, Wall Street's "fear gauge" -- the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) -- is edging higher on the day, but looks ready to log a roughly 23% drop for the year.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
- What's souring Peloton stock for this analyst.
- Advanced Micro Devices pushes back Xilinx takeover.
- Plus, options bulls eye TEVA; NTRB rallies on patent buzz; and SNAX struggles amid stock offering.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (NYSE:TEVA) is seeing an unusual amount of bullish options activity today. So far, 35,000 calls have exchanged hands, which is triple the intraday average, compared to 5,939 puts. The most popular is the January 2024 15-strike call, followed by the 12-strike call in that same series. TEVA was last seen up 2.1% at $8.07, as it attempts to make up for some of yesterday's fallout. The security lost 6.3% on Thursday, after reports that a jury found the company guilty of contributing to the opioid crisis in New York.
Nutriband Inc (NASDAQ:NTRB) is one of the best performing stocks on the Nasdaq today, last seen up 162.9% at $10.28, following an announcement that the company's AVERSA transdermal system for opioid abuse was issued a full patent in South Korea by the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). NTRB remains down 31.9% for the year, but today's pop has the equity eyeing its first close above the 60-day moving average since April.
One of the worst performing stocks on the Nasdaq, meanwhile, is Stryve Foods Inc (NASDAQ:SNAX). The security was last seen down 18.4% at $3.69, after filing to offer $25 million of shares of class A common stock. The security's recent rally attempt off its Dec. 15 record low of $3.17 was stopped short by its 80-day moving average, putting it at a year-to-date deficit of 65.4%.