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IBM Leads the Dow on Strong Retail Sales

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By Dan Dzombak, The Motley Fool

US Retail and Food Services Sales Chart

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The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up slightly following a better-than-expected retail sales report. As of 1:15 p.m. EDT the Dow was up 7 points, or 0.05%, to 14,475. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 is up 0.15% to 1,555.

There were three U.S. economic releases today.

Report

Period

Result

Previous

Retail sales

February

1.1%

0.2%

Retail sales excluding-automobiles

February

1%

0.4%

Import price index

February

1.1%

0.6%

Inventories

January

1%

0.3%

Source: MarketWatch U.S. Economic Calendar.

The one to pay attention to is the retail sales report from the Department of Commerce, which showed that retail sales rose at their fastest monthly rate in five months, up 1.1% from January to a seasonally adjusted $421.4 billion. Year over year, retail sales were up 4.6%. Retails sales are an especially important metric to watch, as consumer spending makes up 70% of the U.S. economy. Economists had been expecting a gain of only 0.7% as the increased payroll tax and rising gasoline prices ate into consumers’ wallets.

US Retail and Food Services Sales data by YCharts.

Spending at grocery stores rose 0.7%, while spending at restaurants fell 0.7%, indicating that consumers are eating at home more. Consumers also spent less money at department stores, on home furnishings, on electronics, and on appliances. Consumers did not slow spending on their cars, however: Automobile sales rose 1.1% in February, showing continued strength for the time being. Spending at gasoline stations rose 5%, reflecting February’s higher gasoline prices. Except in California, gasoline prices have not crossed the psychologically significant $4 level at which you start to see consumers trying to limit their gasoline purchases.

For the time being, the economy is chugging along slowly. It remains to be seen whether this can continue with consumers cutting back spending in every area but automobiles.

Today’s Dow leader
Today’s Dow leader is IBM , up 0.6% to $211.97 on no real news. IBM was recently ranked No. 24 on The Motley Fool’s list of the 25 Best Companies in America; you can read more about what makes IBM one of America’s best companies. While IBM‘s growth has been slowing, there’s a lot to like about the company, including its expanding IT products and services businesses. IBM also pays a steady dividend with a trailing yield of 1.6%. The company raised its dividend in each of the past 17 years and could raise it again this year.

If you’re looking for some long-term dividend 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 IBM Leads the Dow on Strong Retail Sales originally appeared on Fool.com.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Strong Retail Sales May Save the Dow's Winning Streak

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By Matt Thalman, The Motley Fool

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Some observers feared that higher payroll taxes in 2013 would hurt consumers, but new data released this morning should alleviate those worries. The Census Bureau posted retail sales numbers that rose 1.1%, beating economists’ expectations of 0.5% growth. While a good portion of the gain owes to higher gas prices, the report indicated that Americans are not cutting back on their homes or vehicles.

While consumer spending is on the rise, so too is the Dow Jones Industrial Average is today: As of 12:55 p.m. EDT the index is up 13 points, or 0.09%. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ are up 0.14% and 0.12%, respectively.

Today’s Dow downers
One surprising loser today is Home Depot . Shares are down 0.11% despite the overall positive retail sales numbers. The Census Bureau’s report indicated that Americans spent more money at the home improvement stores in February than in January and that sales in this segment have increased on a year-over-year basis.

Shares of Home Depot are up more than 14% year to date and are currently just below their 52-week high. Today, it’s likely that investors are simply taking money off the table.

The Census Bureau also reported that electronics stores posted lower sales in February than in January. Among computer and software stores, sales figures aren’t available for February, but these stores performed worse in January than in previous months, on an adjusted basis. This may explain why shares of Hewlett-Packard and software king Microsoft are down slightly today.

Lastly, shares of Verizon are down 0.4% today. The stock is closing in on its 52-week high, and today’s pullback may be the result of technical traders cutting their positions now that the stock has hit this threshold.

Long-term investors should stay on course and ride out this minor downturn, because greater things are likely on the horizon for shareholders. Recently, rumors have begun flying that Verizon Communications may be in talks to purchase the remaining 45% stake of Verizon Wireless from Vodafone. While this would load Verizon with a massive amount of debt, it would also free the company to make strategic decisions that Vodafone might otherwise hinder or block. Additionally, some investors believe this would strengthen Verizon’s dividend over time.

More foolish insight on HP
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 is 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 detour on its road to irrelevance? The Motley Fool’s technology analyst details exactly what investors need to know about HP in our new premium research report. Just click here now to get your copy today.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Merck Props the Dow Up

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By Dan Dzombak, The Motley Fool

US Quits: Total Nonfarm Chart

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The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down slightly after finishing higher for the past six trading sessions. As of 1:15 p.m. EDT the Dow is down nine points, or 0.06%, to 14,436. The S&P 500 is down 0.26% to 1,552.

There were two economic releases this morning.

Report

Period

Result

Previous

NFIB Small Business Economic Trends

February

90.8

88.9

Job openings

January

3.69 million

3.61 million

The one to pay attention to is the Department of Labor’s job openings report, which showed that job openings edged up in January by 80,000. Hiring and turnover were unchanged from December at respective rates of 3.1% and 3%. The jobs market is a key factor for the U.S. economy, and it has been holding back the domestic recovery as the unemployment rate stays high. Rising job openings show a healthier economy as companies look for more employees.

US Job Openings: Total Nonfarm data by YCharts.

The report also showed 2.2 million quits — the highest level since 2008. The level of quits is seen as a barometer for employees’ confidence in their ability to find another job and, thus, their confidence in the economy. The level of quits has risen rather steadily since 2009.

US Quits: Total Nonfarm data by YCharts.

Today’s Dow leader
Today’s Dow leader is Merck , up 3.3%. Earlier today, a medical advisory panel said a large trial for Vytorin can continue. Vytorin is a cholesterol-limiting drug that, along with Zetia, provided the first real competition for Pfizer‘s Lipitor. The trial includes 18,000 participants, was started in 2005, and is scheduled to end in September 2014.

Merck is trying to show conclusively that Vytorin is significantly more effective than Zocor, another Merck drug that is now available in generic form. Vytorin currently has sales of about $1.75 billion per year, down from 2008, when two smaller studies raised doubts over Vytorin. The first study showed that Vytorin led to an increased risk of cancer, while the second study showed that Vytorin was no more effective than generic Zocor. The continuation of the study is good news for Merck, as it shows that the panel believes the study has a good chance at a positive result. A successful Vytorin trial would be a boon for Merck going forward, but we won’t know the result until next September.

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.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Heart Problems and Downgrades Cause Dow Stocks to Fall

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By Matt Thalman, The Motley Fool

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After a seven-day winning streak for the Dow Jones Industrial Average , today may be the day when investors begin to take profits. As of 12:55 p.m. EDT, the blue-chip index is up less than a point, having traded within a tight range all day. There are more losers than winners on the Dow, but a big gain by Merck is helping to keep the index afloat.

It’s important for long-term individual investors to remember that day-traders, money managers, and other Wall Street types will begin taking profits now that the markets have run so high so quickly. If the Dow falls in the short term, don’t panic or follow the herd off the cliff.

The S&P 500 is down 0.23%, while the NASDAQ has lost 0.4%.

Today’s Dow laggards
The Dow’s big pharmaceutical stocks are heading in opposite directions today. Shares of Merck rose by 3.3% after an independent monitoring board gave the company’s cholesterol drug Vytorin a pass, allowing its drug trial to continue. This drug could be a blockbuster for Merck, similar to Pfizer‘s Lipitor.

Speaking of which, Pfizer is seeing much less success today, with shares down 0.8%. Shares began falling this morning after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a warning that Pfizer’s antibiotic Zithromax can cause a life-threating irregular heartbeat. A research study performed by The New England Journal of Medicine back in May concluded that Pfizer’s drug carried a higher risk of cardiovascular death than various other antibacterial drugs.

Shares of Cisco are lower by 1.3% today after Standpoint Research downgraded the stock this morning from a buy to a hold. Cisco did recently hit a new 52-week high at $21.98, which may have prompted Standpoint’s analysts to change their rating.

Another Dow stock moving lower after a recent downgrade is General Electric . Yesterday, Shannon O’Callaghan from Nomura Securities downgraded the stock from buy to neutral, although he kept his price target at $24 per share. General Electric‘s stock is currently down 1%.

For GE, the financial crisis struck a blow, but management took advantage of the market‘s dip to make strategic bets in energy. If you’re a GE investor, you need to understand how these bets could drive this company to become the world’s infrastructure leader. At the same time, you need to be aware of the threats to GE‘s portfolio. To help, we’re offering comprehensive coverage for investors in a premium report on General Electric, in which our industrials analyst breaks down GE‘s multiple businesses. You’ll find reasons to buy or sell GE today. To get started, click here now.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Boeing Leads the Dow Higher With Promise of a Solution to the Dreamliner Disaster

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By Dan Dzombak, The Motley Fool

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After hitting new highs almost every day last week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up slightly to another all-time high today after China reported mixed economic news over the weekend. As of 1:15 p.m. EDT the Dow is up 38 points, or 0.26%, to 14,435. The S&P 500 is up 0.21% to 1,554.

There were no U.S. economic releases today. On Saturday, China reported that year-over-year inflation in February rose to 3.2%. At the same time, the government reported that industrial-production growth had slowed to 9.9%, while retail sales growth slowed to 12%. China‘s economic numbers are always suspect, so take these with a grain of salt.

Rising inflation with slowing growth will be of concern for the Chinese government and could lead to monetary tightening later in the year if the trend continues. These concerns had some economists lowering their growth expectations for China from 7.5% to 7%. China is such a large part of the world economy that investors should be aware of what is going on in the country. Slowdowns in China can have ramifications around the world, particularly in the commodity markets.

The Dow finished last week at 14,397, just below the all-time intraday high of 14,413 it hit earlier on Friday. Today it looks set to best both those records.

Today’s Dow leader
Today’s Dow leader is Boeing up 1.6% after Randy Tinseth, marketing vice president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said at a conference that Boeing has found a permanent fix for the battery problems that have grounded the 787 Dreamliner since January.

Regulators in both Japan and the U.S. have so far been wary of Boeing’s plans to fix the Dreamliner. Reuters quoted Tinseth as saying, “It is a solution that we believe provides three levels of protection for the airplane, and it’s a solution that we’re confident will ensure safe and reliable service for the 787 in the future.” While the Dreamliner is experiencing some well-publicized problems, these are being overblown by the press and will just be a blip in the 30- to 50-year future of the Dreamliner.

With great opportunity comes great responsibility. For Boeing, which is a major player in a multitrillion-dollar market, the opportunity is massive. However, the company’s execution problems and emerging competitors have investors wondering whether Boeing will live up to its shareholder responsibilities. In this premium research report, two of the Fool’s best industrial-sector minds have collaborated to provide investors with the must-know info on Boeing. They’ll update the report as key news hits, so be sure to claim a copy today by clicking here now.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

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GE Threatens Dow's Winning Streak

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By Matt Thalman, The Motley Fool

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As of 12:45 p.m. EDT the Dow Jones Industrial Average has made small gains, up 0.19% to 14,424. The blue-chip index is currently on a six-day winning streak, but at this time, it’s anyone’s guess whether that run will continue. With no important U.S. economic data points released today, investors seem content to simply wait around until the markets receive another stimulant.

The broader markets are flat, with the S&P 500 up less than a tenth of a percent and the NASDAQ down less than two points.

Today’s Dow downers
Both of the Dow’s telecommunications stocks are moving lower today. AT&T is down 0.5%, and Verizon has lost 0.7%. The reason for the decline is unknown at this time; most investors would expect shares to rise after the promising announcement AT&T made this morning. The wireless-service provider revealed that presales for Blackberry’s new Z10 smartphone will start tomorrow and that the phones will debt in the U.S. on March 22. Even as the wireless providers’ shares struggle, Blackberry shares have risen by more than 10%.

After setting a new 52-week high last Friday, shares of Home Depot are pulling back slightly, now down 0.4% for the trading session. The home improvement store has been on a fantastic run in 2013: Shares are up 15.2% after ending 2012 up more than 47%. During both time periods, Home Depot has easily outperformed the Dow.

Home Depot also recently announced solid quarterly results, an increase to its dividend, and a massive $17 billion share buyback program. In the past, when the board of directors approved a $22 billion buyback program, investors raised concerns. They haven’t yet expressed any disapproval of the new program.

Shares of General Electric are trading lower by 1% this afternoon. The only real news pertaining to the company is the announcement that former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro has been nominated as a board member for GE. Some investors may be bailing on the stock out of concern regarding Schapiro’s lack of direct business management experience. Shareholders will need to approve Schapiro’s appointment at the annual meeting on April 24.

Interested in GE?
For GE, the financial crisis struck a blow, but management took advantage of the market’s dip to make strategic bets in energy. If you’re a GE investor, you need to understand how these bets could drive this company to become the world’s infrastructure leader. You also need to be aware of the threats to GE’s portfolio. To help, we’re offering comprehensive coverage for investors in a premium report on General Electric, in which our industrials analyst breaks down GE’s multiple businesses. You’ll find reasons to buy or sell GE today. To get started, click here now.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

This Stock Is Leading the Dow's Rise

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By Dan Dzombak, The Motley Fool

US Change in Nonfarm Payrolls Chart

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The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up following a far-better-than-expected jobs report from the Department of Labor. As of 1:10 p.m. EST, the Dow is up 37 points, or 0.26%, to 14,367. The S&P 500 is up 0.23% to 1,548.

There were two U.S. economic releases today.

Report

Period

Result

Previous

Nonfarm payrolls

February

236,000

119,000

Unemployment rate

February

7.7%

7.9%

Source: MarketWatch U.S. Economic Calendar.

This morning, the Department of Labor reported that nonfarm payrolls grew by 236,000 in February and the unemployment rate fell from 7.9% to 7.7%, led by job gains in professional and business services, construction, and health care. Nonfarm payrolls include both public and private-sector jobs but do not include farming jobs. Both these numbers were better than economists had expected at the start of the week and above the three-month average jobs growth of 195,000. Following January‘s low jobs growth of just 119,000, economists were expecting jobs growth of 160,000 and an unchanged unemployment rate of 7.9%.

US Change in Nonfarm Payrolls data by YCharts.

While the jobs report smashed economists’ expectations from earlier this week, payroll processor ADP released its private-sector payrolls report on Wednesday, showing that private-sector jobs growth was better than expected in February. ADP always releases the report two days before the government report, giving investors a general idea of the employment situation. Therefore today’s positive jobs report was not totally unexpected, hence the markets’ moderate response to the news.

Jobs growth and employment are especially important, as consumer spending makes up 70% of the U.S. economy. Another reason the market is not up higher today is the lower unemployment rate is a bit misleading as it was mainly caused by people leaving the labor market. More and more baby boomers are deciding to retire. The rate of people leaving the jobs market is higher than the number entering which has been the primary reason the unemployment rate has been shrinking.

Today’s Dow leader
Today’s Dow leader is McDonald’s , up 1.6% to $98.64. This morning McDonald’s reported that same-store sales declined 1.5% in February. That’s slightly better than analyst expectations of a 1.6% decline. In November, McDonald’s reported its first same-store sales decline in nine years. This month’s same-store sales decline is not as bad as it looks, as sales last year got a boost from the extra day in February. Excluding the extra day, same store sales would have been up 1.7%.

In February, McDonald’s sales declined the most in the U.S. with a 3.3% drop. Excluding the extra day in 2012, same-store sales in the U.S. were flat. In the Asia-Pacific region, sales were down 1.6%, or up 1.5% excluding the extra day. In Europe and Russia, sales were down just 0.5%, or up 2.7% excluding the extra day. McDonald’s has high hopes for China, where it plans to have 2,000 stores by the end of the year. For comparison, …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

HP's Surge Leads the Dow to a New All-Time High

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By Dan Dzombak, The Motley Fool

ADP Change in Nonfarm Payrolls Chart

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The Dow Jones Industrial Average is making moderate gains following two better-than-expected economic reports. As of 1:20 p.m. EST, the Dow is up 39 points, or 0.27%, to 14,287. The S&P 500 was up just 0.1% to 1,541.

There were two U.S. economic releases today.

Report

Period

Result

Previous

ADP private-sector jobs

February

198,000

215,000

Factory orders

January

(2%)

1.3%

Source: MarketWatch U.S. Economic Calendar.

First up, payroll processor ADP reported that the private sector added 198,000 jobs in February. That’s down slightly from January’s addition of 215,000 jobs but above analyst expectations of 175,000. ADP‘s report always comes out two days before the government‘s nonfarm payrolls report, which will be released on Friday. The government‘s report includes both private and public jobs data. Economists expect the government‘s report to show jobs growth of just 160,000 and no change in the unemployment rate, which sits at 7.9%.

ADP Change in Nonfarm Payrolls data by YCharts.

The second economic release came from the Department of Commerce, which reported that factory orders dropped 2% in January. That’s below December’s 1.3% growth but better than analyst expectations of a 2.2% drop. Factory orders include both durable and nondurable goods. Last week the advance report on durable-goods manufacturers showed that durable-goods orders dropped 5.2% in January. This led analysts to lower their expectations for the factory goods report. However, the initial report from the Department of Commerce was slightly too dour, as the drop in durable-goods orders was revised upward to a 4.9% drop for January.

Today’s Dow leader
Today’s Dow leader is Hewlett-Packard , up 3.6% to $21.10. HP is leading the Dow higher for the second day in a row. Yesterday the company announced that it was selected by Teradyne “to improve operational efficiency, reduce network downtime and boost design-phase efficiency for new products” by using HP‘s FlexNetwork architecture. While this is a small victory, it shows that HP can continue to innovate and win contracts in the hotly contested networking and enterprise-storage space.

Public-facing wins are a must, as Hewlett-Packard is undergoing a turnaround under new CEO Meg Whitman. Three members of the company’s board came under fire yesterday from proxy advisory firm ISS, which recommended that investors vote against re-electing Chairman Ray Lane, head of the audit committee; G. Kennedy Thompson; and John Hammergren, the head of the finance and investments committee. All three were in their positions in August of 2011 when HP paid $10.3 billion for Autonomy, which later earned HP a massive $8.8 billion writedown. While HP is alleging fraud by Autonomy’s executives, this was the second $8 billion-plus writedown of a recent acquisition by HP in 2012. Meg Whitman certainly has her work cut out for her.

The question remains: Is HP one of the least appreciated turnaround stories on the market, or is this a minor detour on its road to irrelevance? The Motley …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

This Stock Is Leading the Dow to an All-Time High

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By Dan Dzombak, The Motley Fool

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The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up to a new all-time high following two positive economic reports. As of 1:35 p.m. EST the Dow is up 157 points, or 1.1%, to 14,285. The S&P 500 is up 1.2% to 1,543.

There were two U.S. economic releases today.

Report

Period

Result

Previous

CoreLogic Home Price Index

January

0.7%

0.2%

ISM Non-Manufacturing Index

February

56%

55.2%

The first economic release was CoreLogic’s Home Price Index, which rose 0.7% from December and 9.7% in the 12-month period ending Jan. 31. CoreLogic chief economist Mark Fleming noted:

The [Home Price Index] showed strong growth during the typically slow winter season. With these gains, the housing market is poised to enter the spring selling season on sound footing. The improvements are materializing across the country, with all but Delaware and Illinois showing increasing HPI and 15 states within 10 percent of their peak values.

The second economic release was from the Institute for Supply Management, which reported that its Non-Manufacturing Index rose 0.8 percentage points to 56% in February. That’s above January’s 55.2% and analyst expectations of 55.2%. Any reading higher than 50% indicates economic growth. The rise in the index to 56% indicates that responders believe the economy is still growing, and at a faster rate than in January.

Today’s Dow leader
Leading the Dow to record highs is beleaguered tech giant Hewlett-Packard , up 2.6%. Last year was rough for HP, which finished down 46% after two $8 billion-plus writedowns for relatively recent acquisitions. The second of those writedowns was for Autonomy, which was purchased in August of 2011 for $10.3 billion and written down for $8.8 billion in November 2012.

Today, in response to the Autonomy disaster, institutional proxy advisor ISS recommended that shareholders in Hewlett-Packard vote against the re-election of HP chairman Ray Lane, as well as board members John Hammergren and G. Kennedy Thompson. John Hammergren is chairman and CEO of McKesson and chairs HP’s finance and investment committee. G. Kennedy Thompson was CEO of Wachovia from 2000 to 2008 and is chairman of HP’s audit committee.

Meg Whitman’s turnaround of the company is beginning to take shape. A key part of that should include the removal of those who were responsible for oversight of the company’s two enormously failed acquisitions.

The question remains: Is HP one of the least appreciated turnaround stories on the market, or is this a minor detour on its road to irrelevance? The Motley Fool’s technology analyst details exactly what investors need to know about HP in our new premium research report. Just click here now to get your copy today.

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Why Merck Is Defying the Dow's Drop

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By Dan Dzombak, The Motley Fool

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The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down along with the Chinese markets after the Chinese government announced new measures to cool the country’s real-estate market. As of 1:25 p.m. EST the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 16 points, or 0.11%, to 14,074. The S&P 500 is down 0.1% to 1,517.

There were no U.S. economic releases today. While the U.S. was focused on the sequester on Friday, the Chinese government announced new policies to curb speculation in the Chinese real-estate market. These policies include higher down-payment requirements and higher mortgage rates on second homes. The new measures pushed down Chinese stocks. The Shanghai Composite Index fell 3.7%, the Shenzhen Composite Index fell 3.5%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 1.5%. The Chinese markets were led down by property developers and other industries related to real estate. The drop would likely have been higher if not for the one-day drop limit of 10% that the government has set for stocks. Companies that hit the limit are very likely to fall further tomorrow.

Seventeen of the 30 Dow stocks are in the red so far today, led down by cyclical stocks — companies whose results largely depend on the strength of the economy. Caterpillar is leading the decline, followed by United Technologies and Alcoa.

Today’s Dow leader
Today’s Dow leader is Merck , up 1.2%. Merck fell nearly 1% last week after a study linked Merck’s diabetes drug Januvia to pancreatitis. Januvia made up nearly 10% of Merck’s pharma sales in 2012, tying it for second with Singulair in terms of contribution to Merck’s revenue. Gardasil, Merck’s drug for treating HPV, makes up nearly 50% of Merck’s pharma sales.

Perhaps investors believe the market overreacted to the Januvia news. Pharmaceutical companies typically do not move in line with the market, as their results are not heavily influenced by how the economy does.

This titan of the pharmaceutical industry stumbled into 2013, and it 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 — and get a full year of free updates — click here to claim your copy today.

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