The Dow Jones Industrial Average today faced its fourth straight day of declines! The Dow is down 0.35% for the year.
For June 9, 2015, here's how the DJIA/S&P 500/Nasdaq did today, the top stock market news, and stocks to watch based on today's market moves...
How Did the Stock Market Do Today?
Dow: 17,764.04, -2.51, -0.01%
S&P 500: 2,080.15, +0.87, +0.04%
Nasdaq: 5,013.87, -7.76, -0.15%
The DJIA today was down a meager 2.5 points. The Dow was positive just seconds before the trading session closed, but fell into the red in the final moments.
Investors were trading based on sentiments regarding the recovery of bond yields, expectations for a rate hike, rising oil prices, and the ongoing drama over Greece's debt negotiations.
Notable S&P 500 blue chip components were mixed today. CaterpillarInc. (NYSE: CAT) gained 0.67%, Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) was flat, and Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) fell in the final minutes of trading, down 0.35%.
The S&P 500 Volatility Index (VIX), the market's fear gauge, slipped more than 5.3%.
What Moved the Dow Today?
The Good Stock Market News - Or Is It? Economists were optimistic during Tuesday's trading session on news that U.S. job openings hit 5.376 million in April, the highest since December 2000. The news suggests that businesses are planning to expand in the future. But wait - check out these layoffs...
Oil in Focus: Oil prices were on the rise today as metrics suggested a pending rise in demand for crude. But the biggest factor: The Energy Information Administration (EIA) released a drilling report that included bullish signs for the future price of oil. Here's why that report is so important to investors.
On Tap Tomorrow: On Wednesday, investors will keep an eye on the EIA Petroleum Report, which will calculate the amount of oil crude in inventory across the United States. With demand on the rise in the United States, expectations are for crude stocks to decline from last week.
Earnings to Watch: Companies reporting earnings tomorrow include Box Inc. (NYSE: BOX), Francesca's Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq: FRAN), Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (NYSE: KKD), Luby's Inc. (NYSE: LUB), and Men's Wearhouse Inc. (NYSE: MW).
Stocks to Watch Now: NFLX, AAPL, FB, GM, LULU
Stocks to Watch No. 1, NFLX: Shares of online streaming giant Netflix Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) jumped more than 3.1% to hit a 52-week high. The stock leapt on speculation that the firm may announce a stock split at its annual shareholder meeting tonight. The stock is trading today at a staggering P/E ratio of 182. We broke down for investors whether a Netflix stock split is a sign to buy NFLX - read that story here.
Stocks to Watch No. 2, AAPL: Shares of Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) retreated 0.3% as the company continues the second day of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco. There have been few hardware announcements by the company, which will see its Apple Watch hit more retail stores this month. The company announced more details about its new streaming service Apple Music, which will launch on June 30. It will run on iTunes, iOS 9, and OS X and be available on Android devices in fall. But, don't follow the herd into thinking the Apple stock price won't deliver - here's why it's still a good buy...
Stocks to Watch No. 3, FB: When we say Facebook Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) is a global company, we truly mean it. This afternoon, Reuters reported that the social media giant is now generating more than 51% of its advertising revenue from overseas markets. During the first quarter, the company said its growth rate in Asia is now zooming ahead at roughly 57%. Shares were flat on the day, closing at $80.67.
Stocks to Watch No. 4, GM: While merger and acquisition activity continues at a breakneck pace in 2015, it appears that General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) isn't interested in tying up operations with one of its rivals. This morning, GM CEO Mary Barra said Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (NYSE: FCAU) CEO Sergio Marchionne had reached out about a possible merger. However, GM's board of directors is supporting Barra's go-it-alone strategy moving forward. GM is hosting its annual shareholder meeting today.
Stocks to Watch No. 5, LULU: Shares of Canadian yogawear retailer Lululemon Athletica Inc. (Nasdaq: LULU) were up 10.9% today. The company reported better than expected first-quarter revenue, with a surprise 10% gain despite West Coast port delays, poor winter weather, and a stronger U.S. dollar. The company also raised its 2015 outlook.
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Garrett Baldwin is a globally recognized research economist, financial writer, consultant, and political risk analyst with decades of trading experience and degrees in economics, cybersecurity, and business from Johns Hopkins, Purdue, Indiana University, and Northwestern.