The Dividend Daily

The market gave back the gains we saw following the initial positive reaction to falling jobless claims. The Dow’s 6-session winning streak came to an end, as sellers decided to book some of the recent gains.

Volume finished on the low side at the NYSE with 4.16 Billion shares traded. Volume picked up over on the NASDAQ, with 2.11 Billion shares trading hands. Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) was slightly higher following the company’s earnings results. On the flipside, Advanced Auto Parts (AAP) and Applied Materials (AMAT) were down following their earnings numbers.

Some bullish Wall Street commentary had been lifting shares of Home Depot (HD) and railroad play CSX (CSX), but most of the gains were gone by the close. Buckle, Inc. (BKE) and Principal Financial Group (PFG) finished lower following some negative Wall Street analyst calls.

Sotheby’s (BID) and Dow Chemical (DOW) were able to buck the downtrend and close with nice gains. Commodity stocks did the opposite as there was a sea of red on the quote screens for companies such as Peabody Energy (BTU), and Consol Energy (CNX). Financials dragged as well, with State Street (STT) and Northern Trust (NTRS) closing down.

We have not made any dividend recommendation changes since Monday, but we are looking closely at some possible moves. We will keep subscribers informed of any changes.

Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks, as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here.