Dow Jones News Today: Stocks Rise Ahead of President Trump's Tax Reform Announcement

The Dow Jones news today features stocks pushing higher as investors continue to celebrate a string of positive earnings reports.

Let's look at the numbers from Tuesday for the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq

• Dow Jones: 20,996.12; +232.23; +1.12%

• S&P 500: 2,388.61; +14.46; +0.61%

• Nasdaq: 6,025.49; +41.67; +0.70%

Today's market highlights:

• Social media giant Twitter Inc. (NYSE: TWTR), Proctor & Gamble (NYSE: PG), and Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) all report earnings before the bell.
• On Tuesday, the Dow rallied more than 200 points thanks to increased optimism over President Trump's economic policies. The Nasdaq pushed past the 6,000 level for the first time in index history as technology stocks continue to rise.
• President Donald Trump promised to deliver an important announcement on corporate tax reform later today.
• A busy day of earnings reports will keep investors focused on corporate performance and less interested in a potential government shutdown later this week.
• Oil prices are sliding ahead of a key inventory report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

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Here's a look at today's most important market events and stocks, plus a look at Wednesday's economic calendar.

What's Ahead for the Dow Jones Industrial Average Today

• The Dow Jones futures are up 14 points in pre-market hours as investors prepare for a busy day of earnings reports and a statement from President Donald Trump on potential tax reform.
• The Trump administration is widely believed to be working on a plan to cut the U.S. corporate rate from 35% to 15%. In addition, Trump wants to expand the number of deductions Americans can take on their annual income taxes.
• Crude oil prices are sliding in early hours as traders prepare for the weekly crude inventory report from the Energy Information Administration. Crude prices reversed a six-day losing streak Tuesday, but the momentum hasn't held. Brent crude prices have now fallen more than 5% since December as investors appear greatly concerned about OPEC's willingness to extend a deal to cap excessive production.
• The WTI crude oil price today fell 0.93%, while Brent crude dipped 0.96%.
• Gold prices have slid in recent sessions as investors flee safe-haven investments and pour back into the stock market. Still, gold prices have climbed 10% in 2017 and continue to present investors with fabulous ways to make money. Today we're highlighting the best gold company to invest in right now. Given that Money Morning Resource Specialist Peter Krauth forecasts that gold prices will hit $1,400 by the end of the year, this stock could offer massive returns if you play it the right way. Here's how.
• But the big story today is the possibility of another government shutdown. If Congress doesn't pass a spending bill by midnight on Friday (April 28), then Uncle Sam will run out of money and shut down. The prospect of a government shutdown has many ordinary Americans asking a very important question. Will a government shutdown affect Social Security? Money Morning breaks down the ramifications of a government shutdown on your Social Security and who may not be able to get their money should the unthinkable happen again this week. Check out our analysis, right here.

Stocks to Watch Today, April 26, 2017

• In earnings news, shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE: CMG) rallied nearly 3% in pre-market hours after the casual dining giant announced stronger than expected quarterly results. CMG stock pushed higher after the company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $1.60 on top of $1.069 billion in revenue. Wall Street had anticipated EPS of $1.28 on top of $1.052 billion. But it wasn't all positive news for the firm, which has been attempting to recover from a damaging series of food poisoning events. The company announced yesterday it may have exposed customers to a data security threat.
• Investors are keeping an eye on earnings results from Twitter Inc. (NYSE: TWTR). The social media giant is expected to report a small but positive EPS figure of $0.02 on top of $512.11 million in revenue.
• Buffalo Wild Wings (Nasdaq: BWLD) is a company to watch on Wednesday as it prepares to report first-quarter earnings after the bell. Investors may be less interested in the expected EPS of $1.69 than the company's efforts to address a report it's under pressure from an activist investor. Marcato Capital Management has accused the restaurant chain of misrepresenting its share performance in proxy filings with the SEC. A shakeup of company management could be coming in June when shareholders will vote on its leadership moving forward.
• Look for additional earnings reports from F5 Networks Inc. (Nasdaq: FFIV), PayPal Inc. (Nasdaq: PYPL), Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS), Amgen Inc. (Nasdaq: AMGN), Pepsico Inc. (NYSE: PEP), and Seagate Technology Plc. (NYSE: STX).

Today's U.S. Economic Calendar (all times EDT)

• MBA Mortgage Applications at 7 a.m.
• EIA Petroleum Status Report at 10:30 a.m.
• Two-Year FRN Note Auction at 11:30 a.m.
• Five-Year Note Auction at 1 p.m.

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