The DJIA is taking a breather, as finance stocks and UNH drag
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is trading lower, as traders take profits and stocks take a breather ahead of the upcoming holiday weekend. Financials and UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:UNH) are weighing on the Dow, with the blue-chip index set to snap its six-day win streak. There's little in the way of economic data to digest, though the Conference Board's index of leading economic indicators rose at the fastest pace since mid-2015 in January, strengthening the growing case for a March rate hike from the Fed.
Continue reading for more on today's market -- and don't miss:
- The rare Black Monday signal that's flashing again.
- Is it time to scoop up these 2 earnings losers?
- Plus, a machinery stock setting the options pits on fire, a soaring cloud stock, and a cloud stock kicking rocks after earnings.
Among the stocks with unusual volume at midday is machinery stock Deere & Company (NYSE:DE), with call options trading at 11 times their average daily volume, after the company delivered an earnings win. DE is currently up 0.1% at $109.30, and earlier came within pennies of a record high. So far, more than 25,000 calls have crossed the line, as well as 20,000 put contracts. The June 110 call has seen the most action today, with nearly 6,000 contracts crossing so far, and at least some new positions opened.
Cloud stock Arista Networks Inc (NYSE:ANET) is among the top performers on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at midday. So far, ANET is up 18.8% at $118.97, and earlier tapped an all-time high of $119.15, following the company's impressive earnings win.
Among the worst performers on the NYSE is fellow cloud stock Amber Road Inc (NYSE:AMBR), which is trading 16.2% lower at $7.80, with the company's disappointing earnings report are weighing on the shares. AMBR is now down more than 35% from its November highs, and is currently trading below its formerly supportive 200-day moving average for the first time since May.
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