By: Dylan Sikes - AllPennyStocks.com News

Monday, May 9, 2016

Friday’s weak jobs report did not have a negative impact on U.S. equities. All three benchmark indexes in the U.S. closed higher on Friday. The gains indicate that market participants expect Friday’s weak jobs report to push rate hikes further. The Federal Reserve hiked benchmark interest rates for the first in almost a decade in December. The Fed was expected to hike interest rates at least four times in 2016. However, the volatility in global markets has forced the central bank to reconsider the pace of rate hikes. Even before Friday’s weak jobs report, the central bank had said that it would hike interest rates just twice in 2016. But even that looks unlikely now.

A delay in rate hike augurs well for risk assets such as equities and that is possibly the reason why stocks went up on Friday despite the disappointing jobs data.

In today’s trading, the Dow Jones has edged lower but the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ are higher. In the OTC market, one of the major movers in trading today has been Marathon Patent Group Inc. (NASDAQ:MARA).

Based in Los Angeles, California, Marathon Patent Group is engaged in acquiring patents and patent rights from owners or other ventures. The company monetizes its portfolio of patents and patent rights by entering into license discussions.

At last check, MARA shares were trading 3.05% higher at $1.69 on volume of 191,263, which is more than double the daily average volume of 80,308. The stock hit an intra-day high of $1.70.

MARA shares have edged higher in trading today after the company announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Orthophoenix LLC, entered into a license agreement with Titanium2Bone, Inc. The consideration to be paid by Titanium2Bone to Orthophoenix and all other commercial terms of the license agreement are confidential.

Titanium2Bone has taken a license to certain Orthophoenix patents. The license agreement establishes a reasonable royalty rate related to its patent portfolio.

Rick Sanchez, Executive VP of Licensing at Marathon Patent, said that the company is pleased to have entered into a licensing agreement with Titanium2Bone, thereby establishing a recurring royalty rate on licensed products. Sanchez further said that agreements like these are a natural win-win for both Orthophoenix and Titanium2bone. He added that the agreement is illustrative of the fundamental strength and value of the Orthophoenix portfolio of assets.

While today’s news was a positive development, shares of MARA have been trading near their lowest levels over the last 52 weeks indicating that either dilution is an issue or investors are unhappy at the overall state of the Company’s finances.

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