Tag Archives: ISM

Mortgage Rates Dip as U.S. Growth Slows

By Rich Smith, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Freddie Mac released its weekly update on national mortgage rates this morning.

Thirty-year fixed-rate mortgages (FRM) retraced last week’s rise in this latest report, dropping three basis points to land right back where they were two weeks ago — at 3.54%. Shorter-term 15-year FRMs also declined a bit, down two basis points to 2.74%. Similarly, 5/1 ARMs fell three basis points to 2.65%.

The notable deviant this week was one-year ARMs, which bucked the trend by rising a single basis points to 2.63%.

Commenting on the numbers, Frank NothaftFreddie Mac‘s vice president and chief economist, attributed the overall decline in mortgage rates to a slowdown in manufacturing growth: “Regionally, both the Chicago and Milwaukee purchasing manager reports for March fell below the market consensus forecast. On a national scale, both the ISM manufacturing and non-manufacturing indexes also showed reductions in growth.”


 

The article Mortgage Rates Dip as U.S. Growth Slows originally appeared on Fool.com.

Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

(function(c,a){window.mixpanel=a;var b,d,h,e;b=c.createElement(“script”);
b.type=”text/javascript”;b.async=!0;b.src=(“https:”===c.location.protocol?”https:”:”http:”)+
‘//cdn.mxpnl.com/libs/mixpanel-2.2.min.js’;d=c.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0];
d.parentNode.insertBefore(b,d);a._i=[];a.init=function(b,c,f){function d(a,b){
var c=b.split(“.”);2==c.length&&(a=a[c[0]],b=c[1]);a[b]=function(){a.push([b].concat(
Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments,0)))}}var g=a;”undefined”!==typeof f?g=a[f]=[]:
f=”mixpanel”;g.people=g.people||[];h=[‘disable’,’track’,’track_pageview’,’track_links’,
‘track_forms’,’register’,’register_once’,’unregister’,’identify’,’alias’,’name_tag’,
‘set_config’,’people.set’,’people.increment’];for(e=0;e<h.length;e++)d(g,h[e]);
a._i.push([b,c,f])};a.__SV=1.2;})(document,window.mixpanel||[]);
mixpanel.init("9659875b92ba8fa639ba476aedbb73b9");

function addEvent(obj, evType, fn, useCapture){
if (obj.addEventListener){
obj.addEventListener(evType, fn, useCapture);
return true;
} else if (obj.attachEvent){
var r = obj.attachEvent("on"+evType, fn);
return r;
}
}

addEvent(window, "load", function(){new FoolVisualSciences();})
addEvent(window, "load", function(){new PickAd();})

var themeName = 'dailyfinance.com';
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-24928199-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);

(function () {

var ga = document.createElement('script');
ga.type = 'text/javascript';
ga.async = true;
ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';

var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
})();

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Financials Hit the Dow Hard

By Matt Thalman, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

After yesterday’s mixed Institute for Supply Management data and today’s jobs report from payroll processor ADP, the markets fell across the board. Of the major indexes, the Nasdaq lost the most, falling 1.11%, while the S&P 500 came in second after shedding 1.05% of its value, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average took the third spot after losing 0.76%, or 111 points.

To learn about what the ISM report said and how it affect stocks, click here. Today’s jobs report, meanwhile, showed that only 158,000 jobs were created in March, when economists were looking for 200,000. One bright spot from the ADP report was that revised numbers for February indicated that payroll figures for the month actually increased by 237,000, not the 198,000 previously reported.  

Other Dow losers
American Express
seems to have played follow-the-leader today. Shares dropped 1.76%, as its fellow Dow financial components led the way lower. Bank of America led all Dow stocks after losing 2.8%, and JPMorgan Chase lost 2.36%. While both American Express and JPMorgan both went ex-dividend today, but AmEx’s $0.20-per-share reduction or JPMorgan’s $0.30-per-share cut don’t make up for their massive loses today.  

The big reason the banks all fell was a report indicating that mortgage loan applications had fallen by 4% last week. In addition, the jobs report indicated that there has been a slowdown in the hiring of construction workers. When we look at both of these data points together, it begins to paint a somewhat concerning picture of the housing market, which happens to be one area that all the major banks have been focusing on to help increase revenues and profits.

Shares of both the Dow big oil stocks fell today. Chevron dropped 1.03%, which was slightly lower than ExxonMobil‘s decline of 0.72%. It’s likely that today’s poor jobs report, yesterday’s disappointing ISM data, and a 2.82% drop in the price of crude today all played a role. The price per barrel of crude fell today after the Energy Information Administration released crude inventory levels this morning, showing a rise of 2.7 million barrels last week. Total commercial inventories are now at 388.62 million barrels, the most since 1990.  

In addition to those reasons, though, Chevron’s shares may have also fallen today after shareholders saw the company’s SEC filing detailing executive compensation. CEO J.S. Watson was one of many members of Chevron top brass who got big bonuses in 2012; Watson’s total salary before bonuses or stock options for 2013 stands at $1.8 million.

If you’re on the lookout for some currently intriguing energy plays, check out The Motley Fool’s “3 Stocks for $100 Oil.” For free access to this special report, simply click here now.

The article Financials Hit the Dow Hard originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Matt Thalman owns shares of Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase. The Motley Fool …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Bank Stocks Drag Down the Dow

By Travis Hoium, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

It took a few hours to sink in, but investors sold off stocks after some weak economic data was reported this morning. ADP payroll data for March showed a 158,000 increase in jobs, which fell far short of both February’s 237,000 and the estimate of 200,000. So far we’re overlooking the fact that ADP revised February numbers higher by 39,000 and projecting the possibility of a weak jobs report on Friday.

The other data point worrying investors is ISM‘s nonmanufacturing index, which fell to 54.4 in March, below the 55.8 estimate. This still signals expansion but shows more weakness in the economy than it did a month ago and adds to weak manufacturing readings over the past few weeks. With about half an hour left in the trading day, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has fallen 0.68%, and the S&P 500 is down 1%.

Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase have done the most damage to the Dow, falling 3% and 2.6%, respectively. One of the concerning numbers in ADP‘s report was a slowdown in construction hiring, which has driven a lot of the economic recovery. Both megabanks are tied closely to housing, and increased construction signals a healthy housing market, so a slowdown is troublesome. Keep in mind that this is just one data point, and many economists weren’t expecting the economy to really pick up steam until the second half of the year, when the impact of tax increases and the sequester are no longer on the minds of consumers and businesses.

Merck is one of just four Dow components moving higher today, up 1.1%. There are likely two factors driving Merck higher today. First is the increase in Medicare Advantage reimbursements announced yesterday, which should keep Merck from feeling a bigger pinch from insurers. The second factor is that Merck is in a business that sees few swings in demand based on the economy. Investors are fleeing to stocks that won’t be hurt if the economy slows over the next few quarters, and Merck is a beneficiary of that flow of money today.

Can Merck beat the patent cliff?
This titan of the pharmaceutical industry stumbled into 2013 and continues to battle patent expirations and pipeline problems. Is Merck still a solid dividend play, or should investors be looking elsewhere? In a new premium research report on Merck, the Fool tackles all of the company’s moving parts, its major market opportunities, and reasons both to buy and to sell. To find out more, click here to claim your copy today.

var FoolAnalyticsData = FoolAnalyticsData || []; …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Dow Falls on Weak Economic News

By Jessica Alling, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Another record high for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was hit yesterday, as the index rallied following positive news from the automotive sector and factory sales data. But just as quickly, the index has lost 62 points so far this morning on disappointing economic news. With the Dow continuing to climb to new heights on any given day, it’s clear that investors are keeping a close eye on news reports and balk at any sign that there may be trouble in the water.

First up this morning was the ADP private-sector payroll report for March. The report showed that job growth slowed considerably from February’s surge of 237,000 jobs, with only 158,000 new jobs added. This also missed the consensus estimate of 197,000 new jobs. March was the slowest month since October, mainly due to a decrease in hiring by construction companies, which had been adding new jobs at a rate of 29,000 per month.

Next was the ISM non-manufacturing index data — and though analysts had expected a decrease, March numbers came in at a five-month low. Dropping to 54.4 from 56.0 in February, March’s results came in far below expectations of 55.8. A result above 50 still signals an expanding economy, but any sign of slowing can give investors serious concerns.

Financials fall
As the Dow dropped this morning, the financial sector was right there with it. One of the most scrutinized sectors in the market, financials are used to the fluctuations caused by investor uncertainty. Bank of America is certainly no stranger to sudden drops, including this morning’s 2.88% fall so far. Due to the bank’s large trading volume, it is extremely volatile and susceptible to big swings. On top of this morning’s economic disappointment, the bank is dealing with some investor pushback from its continued legal battles. B of A will be paying $165 million in a settlement over its sale of mortgage-backed securities that led some corporate credit unions to fail. Though the settlement will be covered by the bank’s existing legal reserves, continued court battles only bring the financial crisis back into the minds of investors, leading to negative sentiment toward the company.

JPMorgan is on a similar path this morning, down 2.07% so far in trading. Much like Bank of America, JPMorgan is dealing with issues from the past that have reduced its shareholders’ certainty about the bank. With federal investigators putting the full-court press on the bank regarding its London Whale disclosures, it seems that JPM will be under the magnifying glass for quite some time yet. Perhaps more telling for the bank, however, is today’s ex-dividend date. The $0.30 per share dividend will be available to shareholders at the end of the month, and leading up to today’s ex-dividend trading, the stock was climbing higher.

American Express is also sliding this morning. Down 0.87% so far in trading, the personal finance company shares the same ex-dividend date as JPMorgan — …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Dow May Gain on Economic Reports

By Roland Head, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

LONDON — Stock index futures at 7 a.m. EDT indicate that the Dow Jones Industrial Average may open a nominal five points higher this morning, while the S&P 500 may open up by about one point.

European markets slipped lower this morning ahead of today’s U.S. economic reports. At 7:15 a.m. EDT the FTSE 100 was down 0.44%, dragged lower by a broad sell-off of mining stocks and a 1.9% fall for telecom firm Vodafone after Verizon denied yesterday’s rumor that it is putting together a bid for the firm in conjunction with AT&T. In the eurozone, inflation fell from 1.8% to 1.7%, while the International Monetary Fund suggested that additional taxation measures may be necessary for Cyprus to meet the terms of its 10 billion euro bailout. Investors may remain cautious ahead of tomorrow’s meeting of the European Central Bank and Bank of England policy committees, at which potential changes to current monetary-easing programs may be discussed.

The ADP private-sector payroll data for March will be released at 8:15 a.m. EDT. The measure is seen by some as a lead indicator ahead of this Friday’s key nonfarm payrolls report, and consensus forecasts suggest that 192,000 new jobs may have been created in the private sector in March, down slightly from 198,000 in February. Today’s other main data item is the ISM nonmanufacturing index for March, due at 10 a.m. EDT. Analysts’ forecasts suggest that the nonmanufacturing index may drop slightly to 55.8, down from 56 in March. However, the ISM manufacturing index came in below expectations on Monday, so investors may be cautious ahead of this report.

Two major earnings reports are due before markets open today, with both ConAgra Foods and agricultural giant Monsanto set to update the markets. ConAgra is expected to report third-quarter earnings of $0.56 per share, while Monsanto is expected to post second-quarter earnings of $2.56 per share, according to analysts’ consensus forecasts. Other companies due to report before the opening bell include Acuity Brands, Conns, and Schnitzer Steel Industries.

Tesla may also continue to be actively traded ahead of the “big announcement” promised today by founder Elon Musk. Last night, the electric-car maker said it would be partnering with Wells Fargo to create a financing package aimed at improving the affordability of its electric-car models. Meanwhile, online-gaming company Zynga could be one of the day’s biggest climbers after it said last night that it would introduce real-money online gambling in the U.K. Zynga shares were 12% higher in premarket trading.

Finally, let’s not forget that the Dow’s daily movements can add up to some serious long-term gains. Indeed, Warren Buffett recently wrote: “The Dow advanced from 66 to 11,497 in the 20th Century, a staggering 17,320% increase that materialized despite four costly wars, a Great Depression and many recessions.” If you, like Buffett, are convinced of the long-term power of the Dow, you should read “5 Stocks to Retire On.” Your long-term wealth could …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

2 of Yesterday's Big Disappointments

By Rich Duprey, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

The old investing maxim “sell in May and go away” means we’re quickly approaching the time when the incredible run of the Dow Jones Industrial Average over the past three months will be coming to a close. Yesterday’s five-point loss could be the signal that the market is topping here, and with Europe doing all it can to stop the spread of a financial contagion after its bailout of Cyprus, there seems little reason to believe this bull market will continue much longer.

Yesterday’s big loser was Hewlett-Packard, the first quarter’s big winner, though after a 68% gain over the past three months, a small 2% loss is no big deal. But the landscape for computers hasn’t changed, so now comes the point where the turnaround has to gain traction on its own. I’m not so certain it will, though a broad overview of the markets suggests there are still worse places to be standing right now.

Canary in the coal mine
Coal miner Walter Energy took it on the chin (again) yesterday, falling 8% as the ISM manufacturing index posted its biggest miss to expectations in a year, coming in at 51.3 compared with forecasts of 54.0. The bigger worry, however, is new orders falling all the way down to 51.4 from 57.8, which, coupled with a pullback in China‘s economy, diminishes the prospects for renewed industrial demand and, in turn, greater coal demand. Arch CoalPeabody Energy , and Consol Energy all tumbled 3% or more yesterday.

Analysts see a particularly tough year ahead for Walter because of the weak pricing environment. It has significant cash obligations coming due this year, with Wall Street looking askance at the $150 million or so in interest payments and total cash obligations of $365 million, both of which combine to put it between a financial rock and a hard place. 

It faces outside pressure as well from shareholders agitating for change. Hedge-fund operator SAC Capital Partners recently reported a new 5% stake in the miner, while Audley Capital has publicly expressed doubts about management’s capabilities to turn the company around and wants to oust some directors in favor of its own five-man slate.

As coal miners remain under the gun, there appear to be few catalysts in front of Walter to change its downward trajectory.

Wearing the dunce cap
For-profit educators got schooled yesterday as well, with ITT Educational Services falling almost 9%, Grand Canyon Education dropping 5%, and Corinthian Colleges and Career Education both falling about 3% on the day. The one bright spot was Apollo Group , which rose about 1.5% and is up more than 3% since reporting better-than-expected earnings last week.

Yet even in beating Wall Street forecasts, Apollo showed what the problems are facing the sector: falling revenues, higher expenses, and dwindling student enrollments. When ITT reported fourth-quarter earnings in January, it saw all of those same factors, but it didn’t have the luxury of beating expectations. First-quarter results …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

EURO: No April Fool Joke

By Dean Popplewell

It was not an April fool?s prank ? but do not take the U.S. dollar?s strength for granted. The greenback dropped its guard yesterday and lost some of the previous night’s gained ground in the wake of disappointing U.S. ISM manufacturing data. It was only last week that global investors bobbed and weaved, shrugged off some near market misses, and proved that the dollar love fest experience of late is not eternal. The EUR bears will have been startled awake from their holiday slumber and may even become a tad more apprehensive ahead of Friday’s U.S. nonfarm payroll number. Any sign of a disappointing jobs report could send the dollar on a more dramatic retreat. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Markets

Big Tech and Manufacturing Pull the Markets Lower

By Matt Thalman, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Even though a number over 50 in the Institute for Supply Management’s factory index indicates growth, a decline from the previous month’s reading still means things are slowing down. That’s part of why the major indexes all fell today. The ISM data released this morning showed that the reading for manufacturing production in March fell to 51.3, after hitting 54.2 in February.  

That key data point helped push the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 5.69 points, or 0.04%, while the other major indexes performed much worse. The S&P 500 lost 0.45% today, and the Nasdaq fell by 0.87%.

This morning, I discussed a few Dow components that were down on the ISM data, and one technology stock that was moving lower after a downgrade. To read about those stocks, click here. And now, on to the day’s closing data.

Other Dow losers
While the poor manufacturing data surely played some role in Boeing‘s 0.7% drop today, investors may have also been selling because of a Seattle Times report that a 787 test flight was delayed on Saturday. At a time when airlines are canceling flights and leasing planes from Boeing competitors because of the 787 grounding, Boeing needs everything to run smoothly and experience zero delays while it attempts to regain FAA approval for its Dreamliner.  

Shares of IBM  also ended the day down by 0.43%. To me, IBM often seems to be forgotten about, and perhaps with good reason. Year to date, the stock is up 10.82%, which is slightly below the Dow’s 11.08% gain. Shares also currently trade at a below average price to earnings of just over 14, but the 1.6% dividend yield is lacking other technology stocks, as Cisco has a yield of 2.7%, while Intel boasts a 4.1% yield, and even Apple has a 2.4% dividend yield.

The big tech company is constantly fighting to stay one step ahead of the competition, and the question investors need to ask is: How much fight is left in your father’s favorite stock?

Finally, shares of Hewlett-Packard fell 2.22% today. My Fool colleague John Divine noted earlier today that one of the company’s top executives is leaving to work for Silver Lake Partners, the private equity firm involved in the deal to take Dell private. John thinks that losing a top leader in the middle of a turnaround isn’t what shareholders want to see, and while I must completely agree, I’m not sold on HP‘s turnaround and would by no means touch shares even after today’s decline.

The massive wave of mobile computing has done much to unseat the major players in the PC market, including venerable technology names like Hewlett-Packard. However, HP‘s rapidly shifting its strategy under the new leadership of CEO Meg Whitman. But does this make HP one of the least-appreciated turnaround stories on the market, or is this a minor blip on its road to irrelevance? The Motley Fool’s …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Manufacturing Data Hurts the Dow

By Matt Thalman, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

As of 12:55 p.m. EDT the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down a mere 15 points, or 0.1%. The other major indexes are faring worse so far: The S&P 500 has dropped 0.45% while the NASDAQ is down 0.77%.

A widely followed data point released today is likely causing the markets to fall. The Institute for Supply Management’s factory index was released this morning, and it fell from 54.2 last month to a 51.3 in March. Any figure greater than 50 represents growth, but a higher number would indicate growth at a faster pace.

Today’s top Dow downers
The poor ISM numbers are likely hurting a few of the Dow’s losers today. Shares of Alcoa are down 1.9%, while Caterpillar has lost 1.5%, and United Technologies is even down 0.4%. Caterpillar’s decline should not be a shock to anyone who saw its February sales numbers, which were disappointing, to say the least. And when sales are lower, we should expect lower production as demand flags.

As for Alcoa, the company has struggled for more than a year now as aluminum prices remain at a depressed level due to oversupply in China. The one possible good data point for Alcoa today was the gauge of U.S. manufacturer stockpiles, which also continues to fall, moving from 47.5 to 46.5. Anything below 50 indicates that stockpiles are shrinking.

Anytime a report like this comes out, a company like United Technologies is going to take a slight hit, as it is today. This report gives investors a heads-up that big manufacturers aren’t knocking it out of the park, likely resulting in lower revenue and profit during the quarter.

Outside of manufacturing, shares of Intel are down 2.2% after the stock was downgraded by JMP Securities’ Alex Guana. The analyst believes Intel’s full-year EPS will be lower than the $2.15 he had previously expected. A new target of $1.85 per share was set for this year, and he even lowered his EPS estimate for next year from $2.25 to a measly $1.70. Guana believes there may be a delay with delivery of some of Intel’s’ new microprocessors, which would ultimately hit earnings.

When it comes to dominating markets, it doesn’t get much better than Intel’s position in the PC microprocessor arena. However, Intel must find new avenues for growth. In this premium research report on Intel, our analyst runs through all of the key topics investors should understand about the chip giant. Click here now to learn more.

var FoolAnalyticsData = FoolAnalyticsData || []; …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Dow May Open Flat After Holiday Weekend

By Roland Head, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

LONDON — Stock index futures at 7 a.m. EDT indicate that the Dow Jones Industrial Average may open up by a nominal eight points this morning, while the S&P 500 is expected to open flat after closing at a new record high of 1,569 points on Thursday for the first time since October 2007.

According to Bloomberg, recent gains in the S&P 500 mean that companies’ share prices are now just 5% below analysts’ average price estimates. That’s closer than they have been for the last seven years and substantially below the historic average of 14%. At the same time, data published by BEA/Haver Analytics shows that corporate profits have reached their highest levels relative to GDP since 1943, prompting some analysts to suggest that the current stock market bull run has some distance to go.

However, trading may be light today, as most European markets, including the FTSE 100, remain closed for a public holiday today. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei index fell 2.1% to hit a three-week low in Monday trading after investors took profits following recent gains. The Nikkei is now 4.1% below its March 21 high of 12,650, which marked a 4.5-year peak for the index. In China, the HSBC manufacturing index rose to 51.6 in February, up from 50.4 in January. Although this is slightly below the preliminary “flash” reading of 51.7, it suggests that China‘s manufacturing sector is continuing to recover, a conclusion supported by China‘s official PMI, which rose from 50.1 to 50.9 in February.

U.S. economic reports due today include the Markit Purchasing Managers’ Index for March at 9 a.m. EDT, followed at 10 a.m. EDT by the ISM manufacturing index for March, which is expected to remain unchanged from February at 54.2%. Also due at 10 a.m. EDT, construction-spending figures for February are expected to show that spending rose by 1% in February after falling 2.1% in January.

Stocks that may attract investors’ attention today include Cal-Maine Foods, which reported third-quarter earnings of $1.27 per share on revenue of $360.4 million before the bell this morning, beating consensus forecasts for earnings of $1.26 per share on revenue of $356.94 million. Other companies due to report before the opening bell include MFC Industrial. Facebook stock may be actively traded this week ahead of a major announcement by the company on April 4, which is rumored to be a Facebook phone that will use a customised version of the Google Android operating system.

Let’s not forget that the Dow’s daily movements can add up to some serious long-term gains. Indeed, Warren Buffett recently wrote, “The Dow advanced from 66 to 11,497 in the 20th Century, a staggering 17,320% increase that materialized despite four costly wars, a Great Depression and many recessions.” If you, like Buffett, are convinced of the long-term power of the Dow, you should read “5 Stocks To Retire On.” Your long-term wealth could be transformed, even in this uncertain economy. Simply click …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Dow Pops the Champagne

By Jeremy Bowman, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

As you’ve probably heard by now, the Dow Jones Industrial Average broke its all-time record today, and the blue chips did it with a bang, gaining 126 points, or 0.9%, to finish at 14,254. The Dow shattered both the closing record of 14,164 and its all-time intraday high of 14.198, which it eclipsed just after opening. The index reached an intraday high of 14,286 today.

Momentum out of Europe pushed the Dow higher early in the morning as the German DAX gained more than 2.3%, and European stocks set a high-water mark of their own, reaching a level not seen in four and a half years. Retail sales in Europe were stronger than expected, and the continuing optimism in American financial markets helped drive stocks higher across the Atlantic. More good news came in the form of a strong ISM services report, whose index hit 56 in February, a slight gain over January’s 55.2 reading, and better than the market‘s expectations of 55.2.

Nearly every stock on the blue chips gained today. Boeing was one of the biggest movers, climbing 2% to a new 52-week high as the aircraft maker scored a $1 billion order from Cathay Pacific for three 747-8 Freighter airplanes. Still, the company was struggling with problems from its Dreamliner jets as the Polish airline LOT demanded compensation for the grounded jets, and the British company Thomson Airways said it would reimburse customers who had paid to fly the Dreamliner starting in May. Shares were down nearly 1% after hours, however, as the FAA still appears to be several steps from approving the 787s for flight again.

Coca-Cola was the Dow’s biggest loser of the day, falling 0.4%, apparently in response to news that competition from Dr Pepper Snapple may be heating up as that company acquired the rights to distribute Snapple in Asia and other beverages in Australia from Mondelez.

Will the Dow move higher?
Despite concerns about sequestration, the European debt crisis, and China‘s slowing growth, there are plenty of reasons to believe in the bull market. Treasury yields are still incredibly low, meaning there’s a lot of money potentially waiting to get back into equities, and corporate profits continue to improve with housing and employment numbers promising a steady recovery. With the Feburary employment report due out Friday, strong jobs numbers could fuel another rally before week’s end.

If you’re looking for some long-term investing ideas, check out the Fool’s special report: “The 3 Dow Stocks Dividend Investors Need.” It’s absolutely free, so just click here and get your copy today.

The article Dow Pops the Champagne originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Jeremy Bowman has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Coca-Cola. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don’t all hold the same opinions, but we all …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Dollar gains, U.S. shares rebound on ISM data

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange following its reopening in New York

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Global equity markets fell and the euro slumped to a two-month low on Friday as weak economic data from Europe and China weighed on prices, but Wall Street stocks rebounded on news of surprisingly strong U.S. manufacturing and consumer sentiment. Government bonds rallied and the dollar rose in safe-haven buying as concerns about imminent U.S. spending cuts and the post-election political stalemate in Rome remained major headwinds for assets considered more risky. Growth in U.S. …

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Yahoo Business

Investors Shake Off Fears From Sequester

By Matt Thalman, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

The Dow Jones Industrial Average quickly fell more than 117 points this morning, after the Senate failed to pass bills that would have stopped the $85 billion in automatic government spending cuts, known as the sequester, from going into effect today. But because of some positive economic numbers, the bears couldn’t hold the markets down.

This afternoon, the Dow rallied, closing the day up 0.25%, followed by the S&P 500, which gained 0.23%. Most market participants are claiming that the stronger-than-expected ISM manufacturing numbers gave the bulls a reason to forget about the possible future problems caused by the sequester.

The Dow’s downers
Unfortunately, not all of the Dow’s components ended the day on a positive note. Shares of both of the index’s major energy stocks closed down.

Chevron lost 0.21%, while ExxonMobil dipped lower by 0.13%. The moves were likely caused by the U.S. Energy Department‘s weekly report on U.S. crude inventory levels, which came out this afternoon. The report showed that inventories rose by 1.13 million barrels, marking the sixth straight weekly rise.

The stockpiles continued climbing this week because of increased imports even as domestic production fell and demand increased. Current crude supplies in the U.S. are 9.4% higher than they were at this time last year, and if inventory levels continue to move higher, crude prices will likely fall, causing lower profits for the major oil players.  

Shares of Cisco Systems lost 0.12% today. Lately, the company has been losing favor against smaller, faster-growing, competitors such as Palo Alto Networks . The latter operates in the network security hardware industry and competes with Cisco and Juniper Networks.

Palo Alto recently posted quarterly revenue growth of 70% year over year and expects growth of 52% to 58% in the coming quarter. Cisco can no longer offer investors that kind of rapid growth, and FBR Capital Markets analyst Daniel Ives believes Palo Alto will “continue to gain market share in the overall network security market from the larger incumbents.”  

Today McDonald’s announced that it was cutting two items from its menu, causing investors to cut the stock price by 0.23%. The king of fast food will no longer offer the Chicken Selects or the Fruit & Walnut Salad, and it’s considering removing the Angus burgers from its menu as well. A number of McDonald’s franchisees favor the cut. According to the Associated Press, one former owner feels the menu has become too broad, causing no one item to sell in massive quantities.  More importantly, though, this move may disappoint customers, and even cause some to stop eating under the Golden Arches.

 

After making investors rich in 2011, McDonald’s has been one of the worst-performing blue-chip stocks of 2012. Our top analyst on the company will tell you whether you should be worried by this trend, and he’ll shed light on whether McDonald’s is a buy at today’s prices. Click here now to read our …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Brighter Sentiment, Better Data Keep Pushing Stocks Higher

By Frank Holmes, Contributor

If you’ve been a hibernating bear lately, you’ve missed a ton of positive news, as U.S. construction spending rose, ISM manufacturing data beat expectations and the country added 157,000 jobs. In addition, the JP Morgan Global Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 51.5, staying above the expansion level for a second month in a row. The strengthening data, as well as improving investor sentiment, helped the Dow hit 14,000 for the first time since 2007. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest