The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) had minor drops yesterday, closing with 44,722.06 points by taking its opening of the day. It closed 138.25 points lower while falling by 0.31 percent. So this morning, investors look out for its major portion for its up or downshift. The year-to-date gain for Dow has also been outstanding at 18.66%, and the last year gained 26.23%.
Best Performers in DJIA
Walt Disney Co. went up 1.86% and closed at $117.60. Investors still believe in the company because its revenues have diversified and is so powerfully branded as appealing. Merck & Co. Inc. went up too as it ascended 1.48% to $103.12. The giant house of pharmaceuticals continues to be ridden by steady demand, for the principal products.
Travellers Co. Inc. and Boeing Co. rose 1.10% and 1.09%. Boeing shares regained hope as analysts look forward to seeing some green in the book of aviation. Nike Inc. Cl B rose 0.94% to $78.34, which also reflected positive sentiment about the holiday season selling.
Sizzlin’ Stocks to Watch Today
Several stocks in the DJIA are relevant today. Visa Inc. Cl A closed at $314.70, up 0.92%, and will surely be one to watch because of consumer spending. It is going to be of great benefit as Walmart Inc. rose by 0.62%.
Defensive stock Johnson & Johnson closed at $155.40, 0.57% higher. This is a stable stock that always gives value in uncertain markets. The other stock to watch is UnitedHealth Group Inc., whose stock increased 0.26% to $608.38 with high healthcare demand.
Stocks Under Pressure
Despite the bullish market as a whole, not everything in DJIA was strong. The construction space issues related to slowing demand made Caterpillar Inc. drop 1.01% to close at $403.70. Amazon.com Inc. fell 1.02% to close at $205.74 due to increased competition and rising costs.
Microsoft Corp. lost 1.17% to $422.99 after some profit-taking following an extended year-to-date rally. However, the worst performer was Salesforce Inc. after analysts lowered their growth forecast. It slid 3.84% to $330.01.
More General Market Action
Dow Jones’ actions closely followed the general market trends. Furthermore, the S&P 500 Index dropped a little as it decreased by 0.38%, and the NASDAQ Composite Index went down by 0.60%. A more critical selling pressure occurred in the tech-heavy stock, which pulled down indices.
Mixed results were observed worldwide.
Europe’s STOXX Europe 50 Index shed 0.39%, and Asia’s NIKKEI 225 Index is up by 0.56% due to increased earnings.
Key Figures for the Day
The Dow’s 52-week range offers much space to extend, from the low of 35,405.89 to a high of 45,003.06. The range yesterday, between 44,690.23 and 45,003.06, showed intraday action. Market participants will look at these areas for breakouts.
Also read: GameStop Stock Scandal Explained for Dummies: What Happened?
Expected Earnings Report
The session today will take in moves as the earnings reports are going to come out. Stocks like Apple Inc. and Coca-Cola Co. fell a bit yesterday but are likely to move with news of fresh data.
Conclusion
The DJIA remains a focus point for investors. Its constituents provide a blend of defensive and growth plays. Strong performers such as Walt Disney Co. and Merck & Co. are good bets, while underperformers like Salesforce Inc. may be good buying opportunities at lower levels.
Intraday updates to follow as market dynamics unfold.
