
Dividend Investing Ideas Center
Critical Facts You Need to Know About Preferred Stocks
Have you ever wished for the safety of bonds, but the return potential...
It was a shortened week for investors, as the markets were closed on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Despite the fewer trading days, there were several major events and earnings releases that impacted the markets this week.
Tuesday
We started the trading week off with a few big-name earnings in the pre-market.
After hours, International Business Machines (IBM ) reported disappointing earnings. Investors were also focused on Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.
While the markets dipped during the day, the indices entered positive territory by the end of the trading day. The Dow closed up 0.02%, the S&P 500 went up 0.20% and the Nasdaq rose 0.40%.
Wednesday
On Wednesday morning, UnitedHealth Group (UNH ) reported positive earnings. There was also news in the Housing Starts data as the number of ground breaks rose 7.2% from November.
Investors were also focused on Thursday’s ECB meeting and news that the Bank of Canada cut interest rates due to the drop in oil prices.
After hours, American Express (AXP ) and Discover Financial Services (DFS ) reported earnings. While AXP posted higher results, Discover reported a decline.
The Dow closed up 0.20%, the S&P 500 went up 0.50% and the Nasdaq rose 0.30%.
Thursday
Before Thursday’s opening bell, there were a couple of notable earnings releases. The Jobless Claims report was also released – indicating that initial jobless claims were at a seven-year high in December.
The markets rallied after the ECB announced a bond-buying program to boost the eurozone economy.
After hours, Starbucks (SBUX ) reported higher results.
Friday
There were several big-name pre-market earnings to wrap up the week:
Next Week
Next week, investors will be focusing on the FOMC minutes on Wednesday. There will also be several notable earnings releases including Microsoft (MSFT )
, Apple (AAPL ) , Procter & Gamble (PG ) and Chevron (CVX ).