Stocks drift while they look for sector leadership

Stocks drift while they look for sector leadership

Stock market indexes finished slightly higher today, February 11–the Standard & Poor’s 500 was up 0.17% at the close–or slightly lower–the Dow Jones Industrial Average was lower by 0.02%–as investors looked to see whether technology would resume its mantle of market leadership or if the cape of leadership would pass to consumer stocks. The evidence today was inconclusive.

Stocks fall again as WHO declares coronavirus pandemic, White House fails to deliver stimulus plan–no place to hide outside of Treasuries and the yen

Stocks fall again as WHO declares coronavirus pandemic, White House fails to deliver stimulus plan–no place to hide outside of Treasuries and the yen

As of 1:45 p.m. in New York the Standard & Poor's 500 is down 4.62% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average is off 5.13%. The NASDAQ Composite is lower by 4.40% and the Russell 2000 small cap index, with its heavy load of smaller U.S. oil producers, has lost 5.23%....
Saturday Night Quarterback says, For the week ahead expect…

Saturday Night Quarterback says, For the week ahead expect…

In the week ahead earnings reports will test theories about growth in specific sectors and the economy as a whole. For example, on Tuesday, April 23, we’ll get tests of the “consumer economy” with reports from Coca-Cola (KO), Procter & Gamble (PG) and Verizon (VZ). Coke is projected to show a drop of a penny to 46 cents a share from 47 cents in the year-earlier quarter. P&G is projected to pick up 4 cents a share from the first quarter of 2018 to $1.04 and Verizon is expected to see earnings move up to $1.16 a share from $1.11. Those all set, in my opinion, hurdles that are relatively easy to jump. But the growth is already so modest that any miss could throw these big consumer stocks into a year over year earnings downturn. Which would be a bad way to start the week.Â