DJIA Index Craters 195 Points Today on Economic Woes

For April 30, 2015, here's how the stock market did today, earnings reports, the top stock market news, and stocks to watch based on today's market moves…

How Did the Stock Market Do Today?

Dow: 17,840.52, -195.01, -1.08%

S&P 500: 2,085.51, 121.34, -1.01%

Nasdaq: 4,941.42, -82.22, -1.64%

The DJIA Index lost 195 points Thursday, fueled by disappointing economic data and earnings reports.

Biotech stocks were a major drag on the Nasdaq, with the Nasdaq Biotech Index (INDEX: NBI) falling 3%. Here's why biotech stocks are falling this week.

The S&P 500 Volatility Index (VIX), the market's fear gauge, surged 8.6% on the day.

Top Stock Market News Today

• Stock Market Recap: Investors are cautious after Wednesday's first-quarter GDP report. The U.S. government said the nation's economy grew at a sluggish 0.2% over the first three months of the year. This has many concerned that the Dow's run could be coming to an end unless dramatic changes happen soon. The U.S. Commerce Department blamed bad weather and a port shutdown for the underwhelming figures.
• The price of oil per barrel rallied higher toward $60 today. The month-long surge in oil prices inspire confidence that Brent and WTI will continue to rise to new yearly highs. It was just last month, when oil prices were suppressed, that our Global Energy Strategist Dr. Kent Moors made his prediction for higher oil prices in the future. Now, Kent has issued his revised 2015 outlook at Oil & Energy Investor. Kent predicts WTI will be $65 to $68 per barrel by the end of July and $73 to $78 by the end of the year. He says Brent should come in at $75 to $78 for July and $82 to $85 by year's end.
• On Tap Tomorrow: On Friday, two members of the Federal Reserve will speak on monetary policy, and investors will look for clues about the timing of a potential rate increase. In addition, investors can expect earnings reports from key companies like CVS Caremark Corp. (NYSE: CVS), Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX), and Clorox Corp. (NYSE: CLX).

Stocks to Watch: AAPL, BKW, WAG, YELP, V

• Stocks to Watch No. 1, AAPL: Shares of Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) fell 2.7% today on news that the company has limited its availability of the Apple Watch. This morning, news emerged that several key components were defective. Reports indicate that the Watch's heart-rate monitor may not work on darker skin or tattoos.
• Stocks to Watch No. 2, BKW: Shares of Burger King Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: BKW) hit a 52-week high, surging 17%. News broke that Burger King and Tim Horton Inc. (TSE: THI) have posted an increase in same-store sales for Q1 for the first time in years.
• Stocks to Watch No. 3, TWC: Shares of Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC) slipped nearly 1.5% on news that the company reported weaker than expected first-quarter earnings. This is bad news for the cable giant after its failed bid to be acquired by rival Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA) fell apart last week due to regulatory concerns.
• Stocks to Watch No. 4, YELP: Shares of Yelp Inc. (NYSE: YELP) fell more than 23% and hit a two-year low after the company missed Q1 revenue expectations. For the first quarter, Yelp reported a loss of $1.28 million, or per-share earnings of $0.02. The company had announced plans to purchase online-delivery app Eat24 for $134 million in February. The company said Eat24 contributed sales of nearly $5 million in the first quarter, which suggests the deal is off to a lackluster start. Overall, the company reported adjusted per-share earnings of $0.10, down from consensus estimates of $0.16.
• More Stocks to Watch: After the bell, expect earnings reports from AIG Corp. (NYSE: AIG), Visa Inc. (NYSE: V), LinkedIn Corp. (Nasdaq: LNKD), and Dreamworks Animation Skg Inc. (Nasdaq: DWA).

What Investors Must Know This Week

• Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) Headed for $1 Trillion Market Cap
• Why the OPEC Oil Cartel Is Losing the Energy War
• How to Make More Money in the Markets Starting Today

Garrett Baldwin

About the Author

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Garrett Baldwin is a globally recognized research economist, financial writer, and consultant with degrees from Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, Purdue, and Indiana University. He is a seasoned financial and political risk analyst, with a focus on stocks, hedge funds, private equity, blockchain, and housing policy. He has conducted risk assessment projects for clients in 27 countries, and consulted on policy and financial operations for some of the nation's largest financial institutions, including a $1.5 trillion credit fund, a $43 billion credit and auto loan giant, as well as two of the largest Wall Street banks by assets under management.

Garrett joined Money Map Press as an economist and researcher in 2011, specializing in alternative strategies with an emphasis on fundamental and technical analysis.

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