The Dow Jones today jumped 89 points this morning after U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the U.S. Federal Reserve's recent interest rate hikes. In an interview with Reuters, the president said he was "not thrilled" with Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and would not stop leveling criticism against the reserve if it continued to raise interest rates.
Trump's comments caused the dollar to weaken, giving the euro, China's yuan, and Turkey's lira a chance to rally. The rise in foreign currency has increased the appetite for risk among investors this morning, driving all major indexes up in pre-market trading this morning.
Here are the numbers from Monday for the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq:
| Index | Previous Close | Point Change | Percentage Change |
| Dow Jones | 25,758.69 | 89.37 | 0.35% |
| S&P 500 | 7,821.01 | 4.68 | 0.06% |
| Nasdaq | 2,857.05 | 6.92 | 0.24% |
Now here's a closer look at today's Money Morning insight, the most important market events, and stocks to watch.
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Money Morning Insight of the Day
We are deep into earnings season. But this week is one of the most important of the year thanks to the huge roster of U.S. retail companies that will provide quarterly results. And if you're looking to make real money, it's not too late to get started. Money Morning Quantitative Specialist Chris Johnson argues the markets are at a tipping point.
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And with just a few smart plays in today's classic stock picker's market, you can pull in triple-digit gains with just a small investment.
The Top Stock Market Stories for Tuesday
- The markets are upbeat about the latest reports surrounding trade between the United States and China. Despite news that roughly $16 billion in fresh tariffs are going into effect this week on Chinese goods, markets are hoping that momentum begins to build ahead of discussions between leaders of world's two largest economies. With that said, President Trump downplayed upcoming discussions in an interview with Reuters on Monday.
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Three Stocks to Watch Today: KSS, JPM, TSLA
- Kohl's Corp. (NYSE: KSS) leads a busy day of earnings reports on Tuesday. This morning, the retailer reported earnings of share of $1.76. That figure topped Wall Street estimates by $0.12. Shares pressed higher thanks to news of a 3.1% jump in same-store sales and a hike to the retailer's full-year outlook.
- JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is on the verge of blowing up the retail stock trading business. The global investment bank is set to release a free digital application that allows investors to trade stocks for free or at a discounted price. Users will be able to obtain up to 100 free trades in their first year after downloading the app. The news hammered brokerage stocks like Charles Schwab Corp. (NYSE: SCHW), E*Trade Financial Corp. (Nasdaq: ETFC), and TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: AMTD).
- Things are looking ugly for automaker Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA). A week after markets raised serious concerns about Elon Musk and his plan to take the company private, a new threat has emerged. According to The Wall Street Journal, 18 of Tesla's 22 suppliers have raised concerns about the company's financial state. As a result, each firm views Elon Musk's company as a risk to its bottom line.
- Look for other earnings reports from Urban Outfitters Inc. (Nasdaq: URBN), TJX Companies Inc. (NYSE: TJX), Medtronic Plc. (NYSE: MDT), and Toll Brothers Inc. (NYSE: TOL).
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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.