US stocks headed into afternoon trading on a downbeat note as Wall Street slogged to the finish of a largely triumphant year. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) lost 1.5%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) shed 2.1% Friday morning.
Dow Jones sinks 400 points as tech giants like Microsoft, Apple, and Nvidia lead sharp declines. Energy stocks offer limited support.
The US indices continue to see a lot of strength in general, as the markets are positive yet again. However, it is worth noting that the next week will also be lacking some of the liquidity that people are willing to provide.
The US indices continue to see a lot of noisy and negative trading in the early hours of Friday. At this point, the market is likely to see a lot of liquidity issues, so it is more likely than not that we will struggle for clarity over the next few
The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed some easing in the fear level, while the index remained in the “Fear” zone on Thursday.
U.S. stocks turned higher midway through trading, with the Dow Jones index gaining around 50 points on Thursday.
9:40am: Investors take profits after Christmas rally US markets opened lower on Thursday, as trading resumed after the Christmas holiday. The Dow fell 0.3% to 43,177, the S&P 500 declined 0.2% to 6,028, and the Nasdaq dropped 0.2% to 20,0017.
The US indices are all a bit weaker in the early hours of the Thursday session, which of course will be greatly influenced by the lack of trading volume.
Dow Inc. (DOW) closed the most recent trading day at $40.09, moving +0.3% from the previous trading session.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is chock-full of industry-leading blue chip stocks -- many of which pay dividends. But the Dow tends to underperform the S&P 500 during growth-driven rallies when investors pile into companies based on their potential.
The US indices are all looking like they want to go higher again, in what would have been very illiquid trading. That being said, it would just be a simple continuation of the overall trend anyway.
Dow Inc. shares have dropped 25% in three months, but the stock has value due to its strategic supply chain role and decent dividend. Dow's three main segments—Packaging and Specialty Plastics, Industrial Intermediates and Infrastructure, and Performance Materials and Coating—are crucial for various industries, making it a key economic player. Despite soft demand and macroeconomic risks, Dow's balance sheet can support its 7% dividend, with potential mid-term earnings growth from ongoing projects.