Earnings season start to heat up today and tomorrow
Stocks were, for the most part, able to shake off Wednesday's flat trading day to finish the day with solid gains, as investors were digesting news of sliding interest rates against surging pandemic numbers, along with the pending turmoil in Washington. Making headlines was yesterday's vote to impeach President Donald Trump, which was passed by the House after market hours.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI - 31,060.47) lost 8.2 points on Wednesday. The S&P 500 Index (SPX - 3,809.84) added 8.7 points and the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC - 13,128.52) added 56.5 points. The Cboe Volatility Index (VIX - 22.21) lost 4.8% during yesterday's trading session.
Today, investors can look forward to the release of initial and continuing jobless claims, while the import price index is on tap, too. Plus, there is a solid list of earnings reports being released, as earnings season is just heating up.
The following companies are slated to release quarterly earnings reports today, January 14:
Aphria, Inc. (NASDAQ:APHA -- $10.00) cultivates, processes, produces, markets, distributes, and sells medical cannabis. Aphria will report its second-quarter earnings before the bell today.
BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK -- $779.75) is a publicly owned investment manager. BlackRock will report its fourth-quarter earnings of 2020 before the bell today.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL -- $40.45) provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo. Delta Air Lines will report its fourth-quarter earnings of 2020 before the bell today.
First Republic Bank, Inc. (NYSE:FRC -- $161.25) provides private banking, private business banking, real estate lending, and wealth management services. First Republic Bank will report its fourth-quarter earnings of 2020 before the bell today.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM -- $119.56) manufactures and sells integrated circuits and semiconductors. Taiwan Semi will report its fourth-quarter earnings of 2020 before the bell today.
Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ:PRGS -- $47.47) develops business applications. Progress Software will report its fourth-quarter earnings of 2020 after the market closes today.
Here is a quick recap of how Wednesday's earnings reports played out:
IHS Markit, Ltd. (NYSE:INFO -- $86.78) provides critical information, analytics, and solutions for various industries and markets worldwide. Earnings per share rose 10.77% over the past year to $0.72, which beat the estimate of $0.67. Revenue of $1,107,000,000 decreased by 1.16% year over year, which missed the estimate of $1,110,000,000.
Shaw Communications, Inc. (NYSE:SJR -- $17.75) operates as a connectivity company in North America. Earnings per share were unchanged year over year to $0.24, which beat the estimate of $0.22. Revenue of $1,040,000,000 declined by 2.35% year over year, which beat the estimate of $1,010,000,000.
Closing out this week, tomorrow is completely jam packed. Retail sales, industrial production, and capacity utilization data is all due out. In addition, the Empire state and producer price indexes latest data are slated to be reported. Lastly, preliminary consumer sentiment index data and business inventories reports are set to be released.
Please note that the U.S. stock market will be operating on a shortened schedule next week. The Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange will both be closed on Monday, Jan. 18, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A normal trading session will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 19, starting at 9:30 a.m. ET.
All economic dates listed here are tentative and subject to change.