The Dow Jones Industrial Average is tethered by lackluster earnings reports from Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) and Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) today.
I'll discuss the factors behind this below.
But before we get to that, here are the numbers from Tuesday for the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq:
Index
Previous Close
Point Change
Percentage Change
Dow Jones
26,788.10
-39.54
-0.15
S&P 500
2,995.99
-10.73
-0.36
Nasdaq
8,104.30
-58.69
-0.72
Now, here's a closer look at today's most important market events and stocks.
The Top Stock Market Stories for Wednesday
This morning, global investors are eyeing the latest updates on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit plan in Europe. Lawmakers in the U.K. voted in favor of Johnson's plan. But they turned down his efforts to fast-track a bill that would drive Britain out of the European Union by the end of October. Now, markets anticipate that the European Union will approve yet another delay for the U.K. to depart the world's largest economic trade bloc.
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Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) delivered its earnings report this morning. In the third quarter, Boeing missed Wall Street expectations by a very wide margin. Revenue fell 21% year over year, and profit fell 51%. The company remains stuck in a difficult environment due to ongoing worries about its 737 Max jet.
Finally, Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) CEO Mark Zuckerberg is set to testify before Congress today about the company's plans to launch Libra, a cryptocurrency, across its platforms. Zuckerberg will testify before the House Financial Services Committee. The social media giant said that Zuckerberg will tell Congress about Libra's potential to "extend America's financial leadership as well as our democratic values and oversight around the world."
Stocks to Watch Today: CAT, BX, TSLA
Shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) were off 2.1% after the company fell short of earnings expectations before the bell. The global industrial manufacturer slashed its forward guidance due to ongoing concerns about the stability of the global economy. This morning, the firm reported earnings per share of $2.66. That figure was well short of expectations of $2.88. In addition, revenue was off by nearly $750 million from analysts' expectations.
Shares of Blackstone Group Inc. (NYSE: BX) added 0.5% this morning after the private equity giant reported earnings before the bell. The company topped both earnings and revenue expectations, thanks to a boost in both fee earnings and assets under management.
Look for earnings reports from Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA), Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT), PayPal Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL), eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY), ServiceNow Inc. (NYSE: NOW), and Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F).
Illinois Becomes the 11th State to Legalize Cannabis (Making More People Rich)
Cannabis laws are being reformed en masse: Illinois has not only become the 11th - and second largest - state to legalize marijuana, but the first to do so by way of state legislation.
That means the medical, personal, and economic benefits of "America's Green Gold Rush" are appealing to Republicans and Democrats alike.
One cannabis research executive is hailing Illinois the "Marijuana Mecca of the Midwest," a hallmark of the rising uncapped profit potential ahead.
Once the feds end cannabis prohibition nationwide, all bets will be off - demand will boost share prices through the roof. But you can still get in on the ground floor, just in time for what could be the windfall of the century.
Illinois is already housing some of our top picks in the industry, so a few of our favorite stocks could get yet another boost.
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.