The Dow Jones today traded a 140 points higher in pre-market hours after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that his recent calls for quick retaliatory strikes against Syria had been misinterpreted. This morning, the president tweeted that he "never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all!" Despite the president's comments, global geopolitical tension remain high as escalating Middle Eastern conflicts and global trade war threats continue to plague markets.
In fact, Money Morning Capital Wave Strategist Shah Gilani thinks the market is sending investors clear warning signs that the nine-year bull market is coming to an end. Shah has identified several technical indicators that suggest it's time for investors to insure their portfolios against increased market uncertainty - and develop strategies to help them profit. Check out Shah's findings and his advice on how to play an increasingly dangerous market here...
Here are the numbers from Wednesday for the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq:
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Money Morning Insight of the Day
The threat of an all-out trade war with China has investors and traders alike on edge. However, while a global trade war involving the United States could hurt some investments, it's creating a profit opportunity in others. I'll show you exactly which stocks could benefit as new trade barriers are erected... and how you can profit.
The Top Stock Market Stories for Thursday
The ongoing rift between the United States and China could be on full display today from the top international trade group. Today, the World Trade Organization will provide its annual forecast on international trade. The group is likely to offer a pessimistic view on the possible impact of a trade spat between the United States and China, the world's first- and second-largest economies.
The price of Bitcoin surged more than 17% to top $8,000 in a rapid move that surprised many investors this morning. The sudden rally appears to be the result of a short squeeze, according to CNBC contributor Brian Kelly. This means that investors who had been betting on a decline in the price of the world's largest cryptocurrency had been forced to jump back and buy the currency again. A lot of people have been betting on a decline in the price of Bitcoin heading toward the April 17 tax deadline. The expectation is that many people will need to sell their Bitcoin in order to raise cash to meet tax obligations. Here's our latest daily insight on why the Bitcoin bear market may end very soon.
Markets gains have been capped by concerns about the latest news out of the Federal Reserve. On Wednesday, minutes from the Fed's most recent meeting indicated that policy makers are prepared to raise interest rates several more times in the coming months in order to stave off concerns about inflation.
Four Stocks to Watch Today: BLK, FB, DAL
Shares of BlackRock Inc. (NYSE: BLK) are on the move after the company reported earnings before the bell. The firm reported earnings per share (EPS) of $6.70. Analysts projected the firm would report EPS of $6.45 on top of $3.28 billion in revenue. The firm topped revenue expectations. The firm noted that an increase in its consulting fees and the recent tax reform bill helped bolster its profitability by 27%.
The stock of Facebook Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) has climbed more than 6% since Tuesday. Investors cheered the testimony of CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who appeared before Congress for two days to discuss his company's privacy policies. The CEO and his firm have been under intense scrutiny since news broke that 87 million user accounts had been accessed without permission by consulting firm Cambridge Analytica during the 2016 election season. The firm had ties to President Trump's campaign.
Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE: DAL) reported earnings before the bell. Wall Street projected EPS of $0.73 on top of $8.92 billion in revenue. The company responded by reporting an adjusted EPS of $0.74, but fell just short of revenue. The reason for the revenue miss: It appears to be a 20% jump in oil prices.
Look for additional earnings reports from Rite Aid Corp. (NYSE: RAD), MiMedx Group Inc. (Nasdaq: MDXG), Fred's Inc. (Nasdaq: FRED), Apogee Enterprises Inc. (Nasdaq: APOG), and Shaw Communications Inc. (NYSE: SJR).
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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.