Key Takeaways
- Spot gold prices surged nearly 1% to $3,427.48 per ounce, hitting an intraday high as safe-haven demand returned amidst market uncertainties.
- Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT) has voluntarily paused all U.S. shipments of its Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy, Elevidys, effective July 22, 2025, to address FDA information requests and complete safety labeling updates, a decision that has generated negative market sentiment.
- General Motors (GM) shares dropped 7.7%, extending losses amidst broader market concerns including cooling EV demand and disruptions from a cyberattack on dealership software.
- AmeriServ Financial (ASRV) increased its quarterly dividend by 20% to $0.03 per share from $0.025, a move signaling positive outlook for its shares despite a reported Q2 2025 net loss.
- Moderna (MRNA) announced positive Phase 3 trial results for its next-generation COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA-1283, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, demonstrating non-inferior efficacy and higher antibody responses compared to its previous vaccine.
Market Highlights
Gold prices experienced a notable rally, climbing almost 1% to reach $3,427.48 per ounce, as investors sought safety in the precious metal. This surge reflects a return of safe-haven demand, pushing gold to an intraday high.
In the pharmaceutical sector, Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT) announced a voluntary and temporary pause on all U.S. shipments of its Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy, Elevidys. This decision, effective July 22, 2025, was made to facilitate responses to FDA information requests and finalize the Elevidys safety labeling supplement process, following reports of patient deaths and regulatory scrutiny. The pause, while painful for patients, aims to maintain a productive relationship with the FDA.
Automotive giant General Motors (GM) saw its shares fall by 7.7%, extending previous losses. This decline comes amid market concerns regarding cooling electric vehicle (EV) demand and the impact of a recent cyberattack on a key software system used by over 15,000 U.S. car dealerships, which is estimated to have cost dealers approximately $1 billion.
Conversely, AmeriServ Financial (ASRV) delivered positive news for its shareholders, increasing its quarterly dividend by 20% to $0.03 per share. This hike from $0.025 is expected to generate positive sentiment for ASRV shares, even as the company reported a Q2 2025 net loss of $282,000 due to a $3.1 million provision for credit losses related to a problem asset. Despite the quarterly loss, AmeriServ's net income for the first half of 2025 increased by 11.1% compared to the same period in 2024, reaching $1.63 million.
Corporate and Geopolitical Developments
Moderna (MRNA) shared promising results from its mRNA-1283 Phase 3 trial in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The study demonstrated that the next-generation COVID-19 vaccine met its primary efficacy endpoint and showed higher antibody responses compared to its original vaccine, mRNA-1273, with a similar safety profile.
In other news, the U.S. Treasury imposed new sanctions on the Houthi group, targeting major importers of petroleum products and money launderers benefiting the group. This action aims to disrupt illicit oil smuggling and evasion networks across Yemen and UAE entities and individuals.
Meanwhile, Microsoft (MSFT) reported that Chinese hackers are exploiting SharePoint flaws, leading to breaches globally. The company has observed multiple Chinese nation-state actors, including Linen Typhoon, Violet Typhoon, and Storm-2603, exploiting these vulnerabilities in internet-facing SharePoint servers.
The UK is set to issue GBP5 billion of 4.375% bonds due 2028 on July 29th, a significant move in government financing. Separately, resident doctors in England have confirmed they will proceed with strike action starting Friday, citing a lack of substantive proposals on pay and non-pay elements from the Health Secretary.
Geopolitical tensions are escalating between Russia and Azerbaijan amidst the backdrop of the ongoing Ukraine war. Mexican President Sheinbaum has called for the deportation of 14 Mexican citizens held in the "Alligator Alcatraz Detention Center."
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.