MarketWatch

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage average fell to a record low of 4.58% with an average 0.7 point for the week ended July 1, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. In the prior week, the average was 4.69%. The year-ago average was 5.32%. Rates on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages also reached a new record low, averaging [...]

BOSTON (MarketWatch) — Arena Pharmaceuticals shares were on a roll early Thursday, pushed higher by news of a distribution deal for its new obesity-fighting drug candidate lorcaserin with Japanese drug maker Eisai Inc. The sector’s two leading indices, meanwhile, slumped. The NYSE Arca Pharmaceutical Index was down marginally at 275.74 and the NYSE Arca Biotechnology [...]

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Shares of leading financial stock in the S&P 500 Index opened slightly higher Thursday despite a higher-than-expected jobless claims report. Janus Capital Group Inc. led the advance, rising more than 3% despite sliding into the red Wednesday and being the largest decliner among the financials in the second quarter. AFLAC Inc. [...]

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — U.S. stocks struggled Thursday to shake off opening losses, with material and natural resource firms fronting gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 9.14 points to 9,764.88. The S&P 500 Index stood neutral at 1,030.79. The Nasdaq Composite gained 1.54 points to 2,110.78. Read the full story on MarketWatch

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Shares of Taser International Inc. fell nearly 5% in early Thursday trading after the stun-gun maker said it expects second-quarter sales of about $18.5 million. Analysts surveyed by FactSet Research have predicted, on average, sales of $25.6 million for the quarter. Taser cited delays in international orders and slower domestic sales [...]

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Sweeping bank reform legislation close to approval on Capitol Hill will impose a new regulatory regime on Wall Street and non-bank over-the-counter derivatives dealers such as “the next” American International Group Inc., a key securities regulator said in prepared testimony Thursday. “The legislation includes strong regulation of over-the-counter derivatives dealers for the [...]

LONDON (MarketWatch) — The latest data from BP suggests the first relief well may be completed in the first half of July, ahead of BP’s guidance which implies early August, according to David Cline, an analyst at RBS. “These wells are seen as the primary method of halting the flow of oil and their progress [...]

NEW YORK (Market Watch) — Financials were mostly flat in premarket trading Thursday, with shares of Citigroup Inc. up nearly 2%. Citigroup was one of the few consistent performers Wednesday, closing at $3.76 a share, up 0.8%. The Treasury Department said Thursday it has sold about 1.1 billion more shares of Citigroup, bringing to total [...]

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Dendreon Corp. shares fell in premarket Thursday after the drug maker said late Wednesday the Medicare & Medicaid Services is reviewing its prostate cancer vaccine Provenge for nationwide coverage. The agency expects to make a decision by March 30, 2011, if the treatment is necessary for Medicare, a federal programs that [...]

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Crude oil and gold futures fell early on Thursday after the government said weekly jobless claims rose by 15,000 to 472,000. Crude oil for August delivery fell $1.02, or 1.3%, to $74.63 a barrel. Gold for the same month fell $7.80, or 0.6%, to $1,238.30 an ounce. Still ahead will be [...]