Advertisement
Canada markets close in 5 hours 13 minutes

  • S&P/TSX

    21,560.42
    -179.78 (-0.83%)
     

  • S&P 500

    5,049.21
    -12.61 (-0.25%)
     

  • DOW

    37,798.07
    +62.96 (+0.17%)
     

  • CAD/USD

    0.7232
    -0.0021 (-0.29%)
     

  • CRUDE OIL

    85.11
    -0.30 (-0.35%)
     

  • Bitcoin CAD

    86,529.34
    -3,255.16 (-3.63%)
     

  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     

  • GOLD FUTURES

    2,387.40
    +4.40 (+0.18%)
     

  • RUSSELL 2000

    1,955.88
    -19.83 (-1.00%)
     

  • 10-Yr Bond

    4.6740
    +0.0460 (+0.99%)
     

  • NASDAQ

    15,854.07
    -30.95 (-0.19%)
     

  • VOLATILITY

    19.26
    +0.03 (+0.16%)
     

  • FTSE

    7,808.82
    -156.71 (-1.97%)
     

  • NIKKEI 225

    38,471.20
    -761.60 (-1.94%)
     

  • CAD/EUR

    0.6797
    -0.0027 (-0.40%)
     
MARKETS LIVE BLOG:

STOCKS TRADE HIGHER AS COMPANY EARNINGS ROLL IN

Bond yields continue to rise after 10-year Treasury yield touched 2024 highs on Monday

Week Begins with Biotech Mergers

Zacks Equity Research

We start another trading week with some important company mergers and acquisitions activity, commonly known as “Merger Monday.” In this particular Monday’s case, large-cap pharmaceutical companies are putting their assets to work in the biotech space, particularly in cancer treatment (oncology).


First, New Jersey-based Merck & Co. MRK has agreed to purchase Massachusetts-based ArQule ARQL for around $2.7 billion, or $20 per share. ArQule’s lead candidate in development (it currently has no drugs on the market) is an oral BTK inhibitor, which Merck intends to help flesh out its oncology portfolio. Shares of ArQule have shot up 100% on the news — even after the company had posted gains of 235%, year to date. The close of this deal is expected in the first quarter of 2020.


Parisian pharma giant Sanofi SNY has also gotten into the biotech cancer-treatment act today, agreeing to buy SoCal’s Synthorx THOR, an immuno-oncology firm with a lead candidate that treats solid tumors. Sanofi sees plenty of potential here, and is paying $2.5 billion, or $68 per share. this marks a 172% premium from Friday’s closing price, and pre-market trading has THOR up 168% at this hour.


Finally, a deadline extension was granted by Swiss pharma major Roche RHHBY in its pursuit of biotech company Spark Therapeutics ONCE. The original deadline for the offer of $114.50 per share was originally scheduled for tomorrow; that’s now been pushed to a week from today, December 16th. Roche was to give additional time for regulators the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the U.K. Competition & Markets Authority. Spark shares jumped way back in late February when news of this deal first broke, also at the $114.50/share buying price.


Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
Sanofi (SNY) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Roche Holding AG (RHHBY) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Synthorx, Inc. (THOR) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Spark Therapeutics, Inc. (ONCE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
ArQule, Inc. (ARQL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research