U.S. equity markets opened the week on a cautious note as key indexes slipped across the board during Monday's trading session. The Nasdaq Composite led the declines, retreating more than 100 points to close at 23,470.77, reflecting a 0.52% decrease. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also moved lower, falling 0.43% to 48,500.27, while the S&P 500 declined by 0.34%, ending at 6,906.49.
Sector-wise, energy shares bucked the broader trend and registered gains of approximately 1.1%, indicating pockets of strength within the market. Conversely, materials stocks, which represent a key segment particularly sensitive to commodity price fluctuations, had faced a setback on the previous trading day, dropping 1.3% as of Friday's close.
A significant development in macroeconomic indicators was the release of U.S. pending home sales data for November. Pending home sales rose by 3.3% month-over-month, surpassing market expectations which had anticipated a more modest 1% increase. This jump followed a revised gain of 2.4% in October, suggesting sustained underlying momentum in housing demand.
In individual equity performances, a few stocks made considerable moves following company-specific news. Eightco Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:ORBS) shares climbed sharply by 28%, closing at $2.12 after the company announced a substantial share buyback program targeting repurchases up to $125 million. This strategic move often aims to enhance shareholder value by reducing shares outstanding and demonstrates management's confidence in the company’s valuation.
Brand Engagement Network, Inc. (NASDAQ:BNAI) stood out with a remarkable surge of 64%, reaching $1.97 per share. This upward momentum followed the company's announcement of the finalization of a Vendor Services Project Agreement with a major global advertising agency, potentially expanding its market footprint and service capabilities.
Similarly, Society Pass Incorporated (NASDAQ:SOPA) experienced a pronounced increase of 65%, closing at $3.00. The share price appreciation was attributed to the company unveiling its new initiative, TMG Social, which may represent a strategic expansion or enhancement to its service offerings.
Conversely, biotech stocks endured sharp declines related to clinical trial outcomes. Mereo BioPharma Group plc (NASDAQ:MREO) saw a dramatic 90% drop in its share price to $0.23 following disclosures that its Phase 3 ORBIT and COSMIC studies of setrusumab for treating Osteogenesis Imperfecta failed to achieve statistical significance on primary endpoints. These endpoints included reduction in annualized clinical fracture rates compared to placebo or bisphosphonates.
In tandem, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ:RARE) shares decreased by 42% to $19.84. The drop came after the company and its partner Mereo Biopharma announced that the same Phase 3 studies did not meet primary endpoints, impacting investor confidence and valuations.
Within the mining sector, Hycroft Mining Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:HYMC) shares retreated 14% to close at $21.61, reflecting a broader pullback in precious metals equities linked to commodity price movements.
Precious metals experienced noteworthy volatility on Monday. Silver prices retreated sharply, declining by 8.1% to $70.925 per ounce after reaching an all-time high recently. Gold prices also slipped by 4.6%, settling at $4,360.50 per ounce. Copper mirrored the downward trend in base metals, falling 4.3% to $5.5900.
Oil, contrasting with the metals sector, moved up by 2.5%, reaching $58.14 per barrel, indicating some optimism amidst the shifting commodity landscape.
International equity markets presented a mixed picture. European benchmarks showed small movements with the STOXX 600 index edging up by 0.1%. The UK's FTSE 100 and France's CAC 40 similarly gained approximately 0.1%. Germany's DAX 40 and Spain's IBEX 35 indices experienced modest declines by about 0.1%. In the Asia Pacific region, markets mostly closed lower: Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 0.44%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng declined 0.71%, and India's BSE Sensex fell 0.41%, while China's Shanghai Composite eked out a slight increase of 0.04%.