During trading Thursday, 83 stocks traded to a 52-week high, while 16 stocks bottomed out at new 52-week lows. The S&P 500 is down 0.03% so far today while the Dow is down 0.04%, the Nasdaq is up 0.24%, and the Russell 2000 is up 0.81%.
Stocks turned mixed after spending the morning on the higher end. Initial jobless claims data released was better than expected, falling to 310,000 unemployment claims from an upwardly revised report of 345,000 claims during the week before. This shifted the focus of investors back to the timing asset purchase tapering after displaying stamina in the labor market's recovery and Europe's move to scale back asset purchases.
Sector Highlights
Healthcare stocks dominated our list of highs today with 20 out of the 83 total stocks that reached their high coming from the Healthcare sector. The Healthcare sector is underperforming the market, decreasing 0.68% so far on the day. Over the last month the Healthcare sector has outperformed the market, increasing 2.16% while the S&P increased 1.75%.
Pieris Pharmaceuticals (PIRS) is up 11.95% after filing for a $250 million ADS offering. Meanwhile, HCA Healthcare (HCA) is up 2.58% after it was announced that LHC Group (LHCG) would purchase Brookdale Health Care Services agencies from the recently formed venture between HCA Healthcare and Brookdale Senior Living (BKD).
Healthcare: ALGN, AXNX, BRKR, CLDX, CTLT, DGX, HCA, INMD, LH, MDT, MDXG, OMCL, PDSB, PINC, PIRS, RMD, SYK, TMO, WST, ZNTL
Financial Services had the second largest presence on our 52-week highs, with 13 out of 83 highs coming from the Financial Services sector. The Financial Services sector is outperforming the market today, increasing 0.84% so far on the day. Over the last month the Financial Services sector has underperformed the market, decreasing 0.44% while the S&P increased 1.75%.
Upstart (UPST) is up 3.36% after announcing that it has partnered with Water and Power Community Credit Union to provide personal loans aimed at better reaching new members in the communites that it serves.
Financial Services: AIG, AIZ, AON, ARES, ATCO, BLFY, BX, MMC, NAVI, NDAQ, OPAD, SPGI, UPST
The Lists
The following stocks traded to 52-week highs:
AIG, AIZ, ALGN, AMBA, AMR, AON, ARES, ARLP, ASAN, ATCO, AVTR, AXNX, BDC, BIP, BLFY, BRBR, BRKR, BTU, BX, CBRE, CELH, CFLT, CHK, CLDX, COST, CRK, CTAS, CTLT, DDOG, DGX, DOV, ECL, FLYW, FN, GD, GNRC, GRA, GSKY, HCA, HCKT, III, INMD, JCI, KRNT, LH, LMRK, LULU, MDT, MDXG
The following stocks traded to 52-week lows:
CVGW, ESPR, FBRX, HGEN, HRL, IVC, LIDR, MTEM, PATH, PAY, PRVA, QUOT, SAM, TREE, TRHC, UPH
The following ETFs traded to a 52-week high: