Dow ends lower, S&P 500 hits third record high of 2024 as earnings ramp up
(Tuesday market close) Major U.S. stock indexes...
(Tuesday market close) Major U.S. stock indexes ended mixed Tuesday, as the S&P 500® index(SPX) edged higher to post a record close for the third straight day, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average®(DJI) faded after disappointing quarterly earnings triggered an 11% drop in member company 3M (MMM).
"Equities turned in a relatively flat and choppy performance following a two-day rally that pushed the S&P 500 and Dow to all-time highs," according to Nathan Peterson, director of derivatives analysis at the Schwab Center for Financial Research.
Peterson said that despite some disappointing earnings reports, investors appear to still be leaning bullish, in part due a recent string of data that's bolstered confidence that the economy can manage a "soft landing" and avoid recession. Economic data outside of the manufacturing industry "appears to be supporting the soft-to-no-landing bullish thesis," he added.
While stronger-than-expected economic numbers have boosted Treasury yields, "stocks have still managed to move higher, suggesting that net-net, good economic news is good news for the stock market," Peterson said. Here's where the major benchmarks ended:
The S&P 500 indexrose 14.17 points (0.3%) to 4,864.60; the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 96.36 points (0.3%) to 37,905.45; theNasdaq Composite®(COMP) rose 65.66 points (0.4%) to 15,425.94.
The 10-year Treasury note yield(TNX) gained about 4 basis points to 4.138%.
The Cboe Volatility Index®(VIX) fell 0.64 to 12.55.
Gas prices in Europe have continued to fall despite the latest cold front and the rerouting of tankers...
Gas prices in Europe have continued to fall despite the latest cold front and the rerouting of tankers in the Red Sea, signifying the energy crisis is over. Coupled with slow economic growth across the region, this has given investors the confidence that gas prices won't rise to 2022 levels any time soon. However, the region is now more reliant on renewable energy and has to compete for liquified natural gas cargoes with other countries due to the loss of Russian gas.
Benchmark U.S. crude oil for March delivery fell...
Benchmark U.S. crude oil for March delivery fell 39 cents to $74.37 per barrel Tuesday. Brent crude for March delivery fell 51 cents to $79.55 per barrel.
Wholesale gasoline for February delivery fell 3 centsto $2.21 a gallon. February heating oilwas unchangedat $2.69 a gallon. February natural gasrose 3 cents to $2.45 per 1,000 cubic feet.
Halliburton reveals biggest quarterly dividend in two decades
Halliburton Co., the firm that...
Halliburton Co., the firm that traces its beginnings to Duncan, Oklahoma, announced this week an increase in its latest quarterly dividend.
The payout will be up 6% to 17 cents a share, which is the highest dividend since the start of the COVID pandemic. The increase came after Halliburton’s Q4 earnings beat expectations and it generated $1.1 billion in free cash flow. It also was the best quarter for the company in more than 20 years.
Halliburton, with its unrivaled footprint in all of the major shale basins, offers the closest proxy to US producer activity. The Houston-based company’s dividend boost comes after SLB, the world’s biggest oilfield services provider, announced a 10% hike to its payout last week on the expected growth in offshore markets in the coming years.
Natural gas futures extended yesterday’s steep declines into today’s session, reeling amid an updated...
Natural gas futures extended yesterday’s steep declines into today’s session, reeling amid an updated weather forecast that temperatures through the first week of February could be some of the warmest seasonally in decades. Futures were down this morning almost 6 cents at $2.36 per MMBtu at 9:25 ET.