The Dow Jones Industrial Average was little changed at the opening bell as ongoing trade tensions continued to rattle investors. Yesterday, reports emerged that China is seeking permission from the World Trade Organization to hit the United States with trade sanctions. China originally lodged the request in 2013, accusing the United States of skirting up to $8.4 billion in duty fees.
The news came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration is "ready to go" with an addition $267 billion worth of tariffs on Chinese goods. These tariffs would follow a proposed $200 billion in tariffs on various Chinese industries.
Here are the numbers from Tuesday for the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq:
Index
Previous Close
Point Change
Percentage Change
Dow Jones
25,971.06
113.99
0.44%
S&P 500
2,887.89
10.76
0.37%
Nasdaq
7,972.47
48.31
0.61%
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
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The Top Stock Market Stories for Monday
This morning, residents along the East Coast of the United States are evacuating ahead of what could be the worst hurricane to hit the Carolinas in more than 60 years. Hurricane Florence continues to build strength and will likely make landfall with winds of 140 miles per hour and rain and flooding that could last for days.
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said this week that another financial crisis could be on the horizon. On the 10th anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the central banker cited four major risks to the global financial system: China's slowing growth, a poorly executed Brexit, cyberattacks on financial institutions, and rising household debt.
The 5G Revolution is about to hit American cities. This morning, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) said it plans to launch 5G service in four cities in October. Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and Sacramento will be the first towns to access the new network speeds. Verizon's rival AT&T Corp. (NYSE: T) has said it will launch its own 5G service in several cities later this year.
Three Stocks to Watch Today: AAPL, SNAP, WCG
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Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is generating headlines today at its annual press conference in Cupertino, Calif. Analysts expect that the firm will unveil its latest iteration of the iPhone and a new version of the Apple Watch. The event will be livestreamed at 1 p.m. ET.
Shares of Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP) were off more than 5.4% this morning after an analyst at Jefferies downgraded the company's stock price target from $14 to $11 per share. The analyst said that he was discouraged by the company's user growth trends. Investment research firm BTIG also downgraded the stock to a "Sell" rating.
Shares of WellCare Health Plans Inc. (NYSE: WCG) will be active today as it joins the S&P 500 for the first time. The managed-care provider will replace XL Group Ltd. (NYSE: XL), which was recently purchased by French insurance agency AXA SA.
Look for earnings reports from Tailored Brands Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRD), Oxford Industries Inc. (NYSE: OXM), and Aceto Corp. (NASDAQ: ACET).
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.