Dow Jones Industrial Average Wins Roller-Coaster Day

20 Stocks Pulling for the Panthers; Plus, Apple's Loss is This Stock's Gain

Feb 4, 2016 at 4:25 PM
facebook twitter linkedin


The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) spent the day wavering on either side of breakeven, as both stocks and crude oil whipsawed between gains and losses. Traders also considered a bigger-than-expected rise in weekly jobless claims, as well as steep drops in monthly factory orders and fourth-quarter productivity -- the latest pieces of soft economic data, suggesting the Fed will likely stand pat for a bit. By the close, though, the Dow and its index peers managed a win, though oil wasn't as resilient.


Continue reading for more on today's market, including
:

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA - 16,416.58) explored a range of more than 200 points, and managed a gain of 79.9 points, or 0.5%. Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) led 19 of the 30 components higher with a 4.3% gain. Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) was the Dow's biggest laggard, shedding 3.7%.

The S&P 500 Index (SPX - 1,915.45) eked out a win, gaining 2.9 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq Composite (COMP - 4,509.56) ended a slim 5.3 points, or 0.1% higher.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX - 21.84) rose 0.2 point, or 0.9%, for the day.

160204recap1


160204recap2


5 Items on Our Radar Today:

  1. The House Oversight Committee began its hearing on drug pricing today, questioning executives from Turing Pharmaceuticals AG and Valeant Pharmaceutials Intl Inc (NYSE:VRX) about their practices. Former Turing CEO Martin Shkreli was dismissed after invoking the Fifth Amendment -- and later tweeted that it's "Hard to accept that these imbeciles represent the people in our government." (Bloomberg)

  2. With tax season revving up, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had what it called a "hardware failure" on Wednesday, leaving its tax processing system unavailable for a time. The problem prevented electronic tax returns from being filed, and some taxpayers' refunds could be affected by the outage. (USA Today)

  3. A new GoPro Inc (NASDAQ:GPRO) low couldn't sink this supplier.

  4. Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) got a boost on its buyout potential.

  5. This retailer took a nosedive on disappointing guidance.

160204recap3



160204recap4

  Data courtesy of Trade-Alert

Commodities:

After a huge rebound Wednesday, crude oil resumed its downward slide on skepticism that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other oil-producing countries will take steps to reduce production. U.S. crude for March delivery lost 56 cents, or 1.7%, to settle at $31.72 a barrel.

An ailing greenback was a boon for dollar-denominated gold, which rose to a three-month high. The April contract climbed $16.20, or 1.4%, to close at $1,157.50 an ounce.

 

Now is the time to join our thriving community of Event Traders who consistently profit from every earnings season. With this discounted subscription opportunity, you'll stay ahead of the curve and seize opportunities others miss. Do not let Q3 earnings season pass you by – subscribe now and supercharge your portfolio with expert insights that turn market reactions into profit-generating opportunities!! Don't waste another second... join us right now before the next trade targeting +200% is released!