In Dow Jones news today, the Dow slid again as investors prepare for another interest rate hike from the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Winter weather also played a role in pulling down transportation stocks as blizzard conditions on the East Coast stifle economic activity.
Let's look at the numbers from Tuesday for the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq:
Dow Jones: 20,837.37; -44.11; -0.21%
S&P 500: 2,365.45; -8.02; -0.34%
Nasdaq: 5,856.82; -18.97; -0.32%
Now, here's a look at today's most important market events and stocks, plus a preview of Wednesday's economic calendar.
DJIA Today: Dow Drops as Oil Slumps and Rate Hike Expectations Increase
The Dow fell 44 points as the markets prepare for tomorrow's announcement by the Federal Reserve on whether the central bank will raise interest rates in March.
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The expectation is that the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates tomorrow afternoon at the conclusion of the meeting. The Fed's plans on monetary policy have some investors asking a very perilous question: "Will the stock market crash after the FOMC meeting?" We break down the ramifications of another interest rate hike this week and if it could cause the next stock market crash. Here's what you need to know.
Airline stocks were under pressure - including United Continental Holdings Inc. (NYSE: UAL) and American Airlines Group Inc. (Nasdaq: AAL) - due to paralyzing winter weather on the East Coast. Thousands of flights have been delayed due to blizzard conditions.
Crude oil prices were slumping for the seventh consecutive session after OPEC released a bearish report on the near-term future for oil. OPEC reported an uptick in global inventory levels. The news coincides with a report this afternoon from the American Petroleum Institute. Analysts are expecting another build in crude inventories in the United States.
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The WTI crude oil price today fell 1.1%, while Brent crude dipped 0.4%.
Shares of Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) fell more than 0.5% after the New York attorney general accused the company of withholding documents related to the impact of fossil fuels on climate change from the public and its investors. Shares of Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) fell more than 1%.
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But the big story was Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP).
The parent company of Snapchat was reeling Tuesday after eMarketer announced that it expects the company's ad revenue to come in well short of previous expectations. Shares fell more than 3%.
Stock Market News and Top Stocks to Watch Today: March 14, 2017
- Shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (NYSE: VRX) fell more than 12% after activist hedge fund manager Bill Ackman took a $3 billion loss and unloaded his stake. It has been an absolutely brutal stretch for the hedge fund manager, who once compared the debt-ridden giant to Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A). Ackman's original stake of $3.2 billion was worth just $221 million when he decided to sell.
- Executives at United Parcel Service Inc. (NYSE: UPS) received huge compensation packages last year, even though company fell well short of Wall Street performance expectations. This includes big misses on revenue growth and total shareholder returns. Money Morning looks deeper into the disconnect between executive pay and company performance. Check it out, right here.
- Markets are still in a frenzy over Mobileye NV (NYSE: MBLY). On Monday, shares of the semiconductor giant surged more than 28% on news that it sold itself to Intel Corp. (NYSE: INTC). The deal is worth roughly $15.3 billion and will give Intel a massive leg up in the emerging field of driverless technology.
- Look for additional earnings reports this afternoon from the Rubicon Project Inc. (Nasdaq: RUBI), Celldex Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: CLDX), and Fogo de Chao Inc. (Nasdaq: FOGO).
Wednesday's U.S. Economic Calendar (all times EDT)
- MBA Mortgage Applications at 7 a.m.
- Consumer Price Index at 8:30 a.m.
- Retail Sales at 8:30 a.m.
- Empire State Manufacturing Survey at 8:30 a.m.
- Business Inventories at 10 a.m.
- Housing Market Index at 10 a.m.
- EIA Petroleum Status Report at 10:30 a.m.
- FOMC Meeting Announcement at 2 p.m.
- FOMC Forecasts at 2 p.m.
- Fed Chair Press Conference at 2:30 p.m.
- Treasury International Capital at 4 p.m.
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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.