The Dow Jones today will go on a tear with the United States and China closing in on a trade deal. The deal will end more than a year of uncertainty for the global markets.
This Wednesday morning, the countries enter the final stages of their talks. More on the DJIA impact below.
Plus, other factors moving the Dow today: Is there a future for GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME)?
Here are the numbers from Tuesday for the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq:
Index
Previous Close
Point Change
Percentage Change
Dow Jones
26,179.13
-79.29
-0.30%
S&P 500
2,867.24
+0.05
+0.00%
Nasdaq
7,848.69
+19.78
+0.25%
Now, here's a closer look at today's Money Morning insight, the most important market events, and stocks to watch.
The Top Stock Market Stories for Wednesday
Today, the United States and China will continue their dialogue on bilateral trade. China's Vice Premier Liu He will travel to Washington, D.C. His arrival coincides with the conclusion of recent discussions between the two parties. According to reports, U.S. President Donald Trump was pleased by the news that China will add fentanyl-related chemicals to a list of controlled drugs starting on May 1. U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Myron Brilliant told a pool of reporters on Tuesday they were "getting toward the end game stage" on a deal.
It's not all good news on the trade front. Shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) fell nearly 1% after the company received a downgrade from German financial giant Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB). The bank slashed its price target for CAT stock from $152 to $128 on concerns that "synchronized global growth has collapsed, [and] the China Land Cycle is rolling over." The bank added that "Europe is slowing more than expected and the U.S. is oversaturated with construction equipment." Global growth concerns continue to accelerate and raise worries that the international economy is slipping into a recession. Central banks are tapped out on debt and have limited stimulus options.
Brent crude prices pushed toward $70 per barrel. This is the fourth consecutive day of gains as markets continue to project a tightening balance between global supply and demand. U.S. WTI crude prices were moving toward $63 per barrel as cuts by OPEC, American sanctions against Iran and Venezuela, and reduced shipments to Asia support prices. However, oil could see a bit of pressure today after the American Petroleum Institute announced a surprise uptick in domestic crude inventories. The U.S. Department of Energy will release the official report on U.S. inventory levels later today.
Stocks to Watch Today: GME, NFLX, PLAY
Shares of GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME) plunged more than 12.2% in pre-market hours after the retail firm fell well short of earnings expectations. The company offered a weak outlook, saying it doesn't anticipate an increase in sales this year. In fact, it expects sales to fall by 5% to 10% this year. The stock fell to its lowest level since 2005. The company is facing added pressure from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL), two Silicon Valley giants that plan to launch their own video game streaming services in the future.
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Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) is in the middle of a big battle between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Motion Picture Academy. According to the letter, the DOJ is concerned about a recent rule change by the MPA that requires films to be released more widely in traditional movie theaters to qualify for Academy Awards. This could limit the participation in these awards for companies like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN). The DOJ suggests the rule may raise anti-trust concerns in the future.
Shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: PLAY) popped more than 7.5% after the restaurant and gaming chain topped Wall Street earnings expectations. The firm beat both top- and bottom-line revenue expectations and reported a big jump in same-store sales.
Today, look for more earnings reports from Acuity Brands Inc. (NYSE: AYI) and Signet Jewelers Ltd. (NYSE: SIG).
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