White House to allow AstraZeneca, Novavax, Sanofi to distribute COVID-19 shots how they see fit

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The White House said Thursday that it removed a requirement that is part of the Defense Production Act that gives the U.S. preferential orders for the COVID-19 vaccines developed by AstraZeneca AZN, +0.50%, Novavax Inc. NVAX, +2.47%, and Sanofi SNY, -0.12%. None of these shots have been authorized in the U.S., but the change allows the companies to decide which orders, including from other countries, they will fulfill first. "We are confident in our supply of our authorized vaccines," Jeff Zients, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said during a press briefing. The vaccines authorized in the U.S. are the shots developed by Pfizer Inc. PFE, +0.31%, Moderna Inc. MRNA, +3.23%, and Johnson & Johnson JNJ, -0.23%. The U.S. also plans to donate 25 million additional doses of its current supply over the summer, officials said.

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Netflix stock chart produces first 'death cross' pattern in nearly 2 years

Shares of Netflix Inc. undefined dropped 2.0% in midday trading Thursday, as a "death cross" pattern appeared in the streaming services company's stock chart, the first appearance of the bearish pattern in nearly two years. The stock's 50-day moving average, which many view as a guide to the shorter-term trend, slipped to $513.96 from $514.89 on Wednesday, to cross below the 200-day moving average, seen as a dividing line between longer-term uptrends and downtrends, which inched up to $514.50 from $514.47. Some chart watchers believe a "death cross" marks the spot where a shorter-term pullback transitions to a longer-term downtrend. The stock was trading 16.5% below its Jan. 20 record close of $586.34. Over the same time, the S&P 500 undefined has gained 9.0%. Netflix's last "death cross" appeared on Aug. 28, 2019, after the stock had dropped 24.2% from a near one-year high about four months earlier; the stock shed another 12.7% before bottoming about a month later. The "death cross" before that appeared on Nov. 19, 2018, after tumbling 35.4% from a then-record close reached about four months earlier; the stock fell another 13.6% before bottoming out about a month later.

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