Stock Market Update

[BRIEFING.COM] The major averages continue to tick upwards from their strong opening levels, with the S&P 500 now up 0.5%

Nine sectors trade in the green in a day that has seen growth across stocks of all sizes.

The health care sector (-0.1%) is one of the few sectors that has not seen growth, with biotechnology stocks being a point of relative weakness. The iShares Biotechnology ETF is down 0.2% today amid reports that Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT 13.07, -1.00, -7.14%) refused an informal request from the FDA to voluntarily halt shipments of their gene therapy Elevidys following a third death linked to its use.

The company has been downgraded to Underperform from Hold at Needham, Neutral from Outperform at Mizuho, Market Perform from Outperform at Leerink, and Sell from Hold at Deutsche Bank.