Dow Jones Industrial Average Falls 377 as Microsoft Plunges

Durable goods orders unexpectedly dropped in December

Jan 27, 2015 at 11:31 AM
facebook twitter linkedin


The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:DJI) is getting crushed at midday, down roughly 377 points, or 2.1%, on a spate of disappointing earnings reports. Another factor in the broad-market woes is the latest report on durable goods orders, which unexpectedly fell last month -- though the consumer confidence index reached its highest level in more than seven years, and new home sales beat the consensus estimate. Looking ahead, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is among the big names set to report quarterly results tonight.

Continue reading for more on today's market -- and don't miss:

Midday Market Stats

Among the stocks with notable call volume is motorcycle icon Harley-Davidson Inc (NYSE:HOG), with the contracts crossing at 17 times the usual intraday rate. Digging deeper, buy-to-open activity is detected at the equity's at-the-money February 62.50 call -- which is HOG's most active option. On the charts, meanwhile, the shares have stumbled 3.6% to hover near $62.50.

For more midday statistics and stocks on the move, head to page 2.

Blue chip Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) is among the leading losers on the Big Board, following a fourth-quarter earnings miss and reduced forward guidance. At last check, the shares were 7.5% lower at $79.57, and fresh off a two-year low of $79.16.

Daily Chart of CAT Since August 2014

Implantable lens maker STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ:STAA) is by far the biggest decliner on the Nasdaq, dropping roughly 30% to trade at $5.16. Earlier, the shares tanked to a three-year low of $4.84, after the company lowered its fourth-quarter revenue outlook.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) is up 2.8 points, or 18.1%, at 18.33.

Today's put/call volume ratio on the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is 1.89, with puts nearly doubling calls. At last check, SPY is 1.7% lower at $201.96.

 

Minimize Risk While Maximizing Profits

There is no options strategy like this one, which consistently minimizes risk while maintaining maximum profits. Perfect for traders looking for ways to control risk, reduce losses, and increase the likelihood of success when trading calls and puts. The Schaeffer’s team has over 41 years of options trading success targeting +100% gains on every trade. Rest assured your losses are effectively limited to your initial cost at the time of making your move! Don't waste another second... join us right now before the next trade is released! 

 


 


 
Special Offers from Schaeffer's Trading Partners