Stock Market Today
DJ Industrial Ave Theoretical (m)
N/A: DJIA
May 17
no chart
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Last price15,354.40Prev Close15,233.22
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Change121.18% Change0.8%
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Open15,234.75Volume34,407,100
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Day Low15,183.26Day High15,408.00
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Bid0.00Ask0.00
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52 Wk Low12,101.4652 Wk High15,354.40
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Market Cap0ExchangeN/A
Today
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Buy, Sell or Hold: With 46 Million People on Food Stamps This Is The Stock To Own
With over 46 million Americans on food stamps, price-conscious shoppers have been flocking to the discount stores.
It's a profitable and steady niche in what has become a "food stamp economy."
It's lead by the big-box discounters such as Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) on one end and a trio of high-rising "dollar" stores at the other --Family Dollar Stores (NYSE: FDO), Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR) and Dollar General (NYSE:DG).
Since the start of the financial crisis, all of these discounters have seen their share prices skyrocket as consumers work overtime to stretch each and every dollar.
My favorite company in this group is Dollar General Corp., which has seen its share price climb by 129% since its IPO in November 2009.
The question, of course, is whether or not Dollar General still has what it takes to stay in Wall Street's good graces and keep on growing.
Part of that answer depends on what your perception is about the overall state of the U.S. economy. The data is certainly a mixed bag.
But what I can tell you about Dollar General is how it differentiates itself from the competition and how the discounter will be able to hang on to shoppers even when the economy turns.
Here's why I like this company so much...
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Is "Dow 16,000" a Reachable Target?
We all saw it.
Barron's April 20 cover showed a cartoon bull on a pogo stock, with the exclamation "Dow 16,000!"
So what's the investor takeaway - are we all in to 16,000, or is it a contrarian signal to watch out for a looming market pullback?
Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald joined FOX Business Network's "Varney & Co." program to answer that question.
Watch the following interview with Fitz-Gerald to find out.
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Stock Market Today: S&P 500 Reaches Record Before May Sell Off Hits
The stock market today (Tuesday) paused after kicking off the week with strong, across-the-board gains that took the Standard & Poor's 500 Index to an all-time closing high.
The S&P rose 11.37 points Monday, or 0.7%, to close at 1,593.61, a hair above the index's April 11 record of 1,593.37. The Nasdaq tacked on 27.76 points, or 0.8%, to 3307.02, its highest close since 2000. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 106.20 points, or 0.7%, to 14818.75, inching closer to the anticipated 15,000 milestone.
Shortly before noon Tuesday, stocks took a breather. The Dow dipped 32.62 points, or 0.22%, at 14,786.13. The S&P slipped 1.95, or 0.12%, at 1,591.66. The Nasdaq notched a gain of 5.2%, or 0.16%, at 3,312.
As markets march into May, trading is expected to slow. The old "sell in May and go away" adage has many preaching caution. Bespoke Investments reports two of the ten worst months of May in S&P's history have occurred during the current bull market (2010 and 2012).
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Stock Market Today: April Set to Continue 2013 Winning Streak
U.S. equities followed Europe's lead and headed higher when the stock market today (Monday) opened.
Wall Street's mood was lifted after Enrico Letta was sworn in as Italy's prime minister, ending weeks of political gridlock in the ailing European nation. The news also propelled Italian stocks up more than 1%.
Shortly before noon, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 68.55 points, or 0.47%, at 14,781.10. The Standard and Poor's 500 Index was higher by 8.59, or 0.54%, at 1,590.83. The Nasdaq climbed 26.72, or 0.81% at 3,305.98.
Another lift to the stock market today came from a report on March consumer spending. The read was 2%, much better than and 0.1% rise economists had expected and up from a 0.7% gain in February and a 0.4% advance in January.
With just two more trading sessions left in the month, U.S. stocks are set to end April with gains. That would mark the fourth consecutive positive month for equities.
But it's about that time when the familiar spring swoon weighs on stocks in the near term.
According to data from Bespoke Investment Group, over the past 30 years, an investor who bought the S&P 500 Index every Oct. 31 and sold the following April 30 would have reaped a 898% gain. In contrast, buying every April 30 and selling every late October would have returned just 56%.
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The 5 Most Shorted Stocks in the S&P 500
May's right around the corner and bears are piling on bets against the most shorted stocks - and the overall market - in preparation for the expected annual sell-off.
During the first two weeks of April, almost 60% of stocks in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index saw an increase in short interest, and the Nasdaq had an overall increase in short positions as well.
Right now, the most shorted stocks include a struggling retailer, a for-profit college and an alternative energy company - and one stock that's up a whopping 131% in 2013.
But don't be misled into going against the grain. These stocks are not "buys."
Rather, investors should steer clear of these risky stocks.
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This Dangerous "New" Energy Crisis is Crippling the Middle East
Don't look now, but there are some problems developing in the global energy network.
It's hardly reassuring that the epicenter of all this is the Middle East.
The primary problem is hardly new. Actually, calling it an "old" problem is more accurate because the culprit is a collapsing network of delivery and storage that has been deteriorating for decades.
Unfortunately, this is hitting areas already beset by broad, accelerating economic shortfalls the hardest. That they also happen to be areas of significant unrest hardly improves the situation.
The latest is in Pakistan. There a combination of lower-than-expected water availability and a government powerless to provide the diesel fuel essential for the planting season means a population already on the brink is staring at food shortages.
The picture is very grim.
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Stocks to Buy When South Korea Heads Higher
One of the biggest stories of the year so far has been the saber rattling coming from North Korea.
The communist nation's young leader Kim Jong-un has insisted that his nation is at war with South Korea and war is imminent. He has refused diplomatic talks with South Korea and the United States and raised tensions on the peninsula to heights not seen in many years.
All of this has weighed on the South Korean stock market and created what well may be a significant opportunity to find undervalued stocks to buy. The South Korean markets have sold off and are down on the year by about 6% when measured by the iShares South Korean ETF (NYSE: EWY).
The reality is that no matter how much saber rattling is done North Korea isn't likely to wage war on its Southern brethren. They simply cannot afford it. They don't have enough fuel and many parts of the country have no electricity and little food.
China may watch the rhetoric with a bemused eye but is unlikely to encourage a war.
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Stock Market Today: Don't Miss These Earnings Reports
Coming off the worst week of the year, U.S. equities were mixed in the stock market today (Monday) at we kick off a big week for earnings.
In mid-afternoon trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 14.19, or 0.10%, at 14,533.32. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 2.50, or 0.22%, to 1,558.93.
The Nasdaq was up 20.17, or 0.63%, to 3,226.23.Gold, which lost 7%, or $105.70 a troy ounce last week, was down 20 cents, to $1,426.30.
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Three Stocks to Buy to Beat Warren Buffett's Gains
While many look to Warren Buffett's holdings to find the best stocks to buy, it turns out his holdings' rivals could be the better picks.
Buffett is known not only for value investing, but also buying shares only of companies that operate in prosaic, easy-to-understand businesses. That's why the holdings of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A, BRK.B) are spectacular.
But in this look at how to find more stocks to buy that deliver - and even beat - the gains of Buffett's most popular holdings, some of the best bets could be companies that share a market with Berkshire's big winners.
Take a look.
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How to Find Defensive Stocks to Buy for Portfolio Protection
In recent weeks many pundits and gurus have advised investors on which defensive stocks to buy for portfolio protection - but before following their lead, you should do some research as well.
The definition of defensive stocks seems to be a little unclear, but generally the same names keep appearing: large drug stocks, consumer-related issues and utility companies. While those suggestions sound like smart moves, many of these advisors seem to be using a rearview mirror to select which stocks and sectors fir the definition of "defensive."
In fact, during the past year the dividend-paying large cap stocks have had a huge rally as yield-seeking investors have pushed them to new highs. They are exactly the type of stocks that a defensive investor would want to avoid in the current market.
Fortunately for investors there is a method for identifying and selecting truly defensive stocks that has worked for more than 40 years.
