Dow Jones News Today: Dow Slides as Oil Prices Slump and Increased Volatility Spreads

Dow Jones news In Dow Jones news today, the Dow dipped as investors weighed declining energy commodity prices.

Investors are also fearing the economic policies of President Donald Trump will cause increased volatility.

Over the last three weeks, there have been no shortage of political events bringing instability and volatility to the markets.

Right now, investors see more downside in President Trump's isolationist social policies than they see upside to his proposed tax cuts and deregulatory efforts.

Let's look at the numbers from Monday for the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq:

Dow Jones: 20,052.42; -19.04; -0.09%

S&P 500: 2,292.56; -4.86; -0.21%

Nasdaq: 5,663.55; -3.21; -0.06%

Now, here's a look at today's most important market events and stocks, plus a preview of Tuesday's economic calendar.

Dow Jones News Today: Dow Slides as Volatility Increases

The Dow Jones slipped 19 points as investors continue to question the timing of President Trump's planned economic policies. Speculation is growing that the U.S. economy will not see the implementation of much of Trump's agenda until 2018. The CBOE Volatility Index - widely considered the market's fear gauge - jumped over 3%.

Trending Story: Top Marijuana Stocks This Week (Feb. 6)

Everyone was talking about Silicon Valley's reaction to President Donald Trump's temporary travel ban. Roughly 100 technology companies - a list that includes several of the nation's top Silicon Valley firms - have filed a joint legal brief opposing Trump's executive order.

Companies including Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL), Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOGL), and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) filed the brief in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The firms argue that Trump's order "inflicts significant harm on American business."

A federal judge blocked the travel ban on seven mainly Muslim nations on Friday.

The uncertainty over President Trump's policies made it a huge day for gold stocks. The price of gold today jumped more than 1% thanks to growing concerns about geopolitics. The combination of Trump's policies and jitters over upcoming elections in France and Germany are fueling a buying frenzy. Here's why gold prices can climb even higher in 2017...

Shares of Barrick Gold Corp. (USA) (NYSE: ABX) added more than 2%, while NovaGold Resources Inc. (USA) (NYSE: NG) climbed more than 9%.

Crude oil prices were dipping again thanks to a strengthening dollar. The uptick in the greenback offset optimism over OPEC's efforts to cut excessive production. Also, news that President Trump announced new sanctions on Iran after the country tested ballistic missiles sent prices lower. The U.S. Treasury said that 13 individuals and 12 entities will not be allowed to access the U.S. financial system or engage in business with U.S. companies.

Must Read: Dr. Kent Moors' 2017 Oil Price Forecast

The WTI crude oil price today dipped 1.3%. Meanwhile, Brent crude lost 1.7%.

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But the news slipping under the radar is happening in China.

The Chinese government is gearing up for a big standoff against the United States and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Click here for the full story.

Top Stocks to Watch Today: Feb. 6, 2017

  • Shares of Williams Cos. (NYSE: WMB) pushed higher after federal regulators approved its $3 billion Atlantic Sunrise natural gas pipeline expansion. The project in the northeastern part of the United States has been delayed by a long review process.
  • In earnings news, shares of Hasbro Inc. (NYSE: HAS) surged more than 14% after the toy company crushed Q4 expectations after a record holiday shopping season. The company said it experienced very high demand for Star Wars toys, Disney princess dolls, and board games. The firm announced earnings per share (EPS) of $1.64. Analysts expected $1.27.
  • Meanwhile, Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN) shares fell over 3% even though the company topped earnings expectations this morning. Analysts expected EPS of $1.26, and Tyson reported $1.59. However, the TSN stock price started to fall after investors found out Tyson is being investigated by the SEC for reportedly manipulating chicken prices by limiting production.
  • After the bell, look for additional earnings reports from FMC Corp. (NYSE: FMC), CBOE Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: CBOE), and Fabrinet (NYSE: FN).

Tuesday's U.S. Economic Calendar (all times EST)

  • International Trade at 8:30 a.m.
  • Gallup US ECI at 8:30 a.m.
  • Redbook at 8:55 a.m.
  • JOLTS at 10 a.m.
  • Four-Week Bill Auction at 11:30 a.m.
  • Three-Year Note Auction at 1 p.m.
  • Consumer Credit at 3 p.m.

Trump's Secret Weapon Against Chinese Aggression: Hostilities in the South China Sea now seem imminent, and the Trump administration could be on the verge of its first major crisis. But thanks to a small $6 U.S. defense firm with a top-secret new technology, China is about to be taken to the woodshed. Frankly, you have to see it to believe it...

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About the Author

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.

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