By Mark DeCambre, MarketWatch , Andrea Riquier
After the market closes Wednesday, Microsoft, Ford Motor, Tesla
and EBay are due to report
Stocks inched higher Wednesday morning despite a
weaker-than-expected report from two Dow components and a poor
update from a semiconductor company, with a fresh wave of corporate
results on deck.
Wall Street is also watching developments pegged to Brexit, as a
vote for a fast-track exit for Britain from the EU was rejected by
parliament on Tuesday, but the delay eases concerns about the U.K.
crashing out of the bloc without a deal on Oct. 31.
How are major indexes faring?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 45 points, or 0.2%, at
26,832, while the S&P 500 index was picked up less than a point
at 2,997, a gain of less than 0.1%. The Nasdaq Composite Index,
meanwhile, slipped about 9 points. or 0.1%, to reach 8,094.
On Tuesday
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/stock-futures-drift-higher-as-one-of-the-busiest-weeks-for-corporate-earnings-unfolds-2019-10-22),
the Dow lost 39.54 points, or 0.2%, to 26,788.10, the S&P 500
index fell 10.73 points, or 0.4%, to 2,995.99, while the Nasdaq
shed 58.69 points, or 0.7%, to 8,104.30.
What's driving the market?
Results from Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) and Boeing Co.(BA) initially
knocked the market lower in premarket action on Wednesday, with
investors already unsettled from Brexit developments and weakness
among chip companies. But stocks turned higher in early trading as
investors took positives away from quarterly results from the
blue-chip components.
Caterpillar cut its full-year 2019 earnings outlook as it
reported third-quarter results that also missed Wall Street's
consensus estimates
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/caterpillar-cuts-profit-guidance-as-q3-sales-fall-2019-10-23).
That came amid a slide for the semiconductor sector following a
poor forecast from Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN) that was much worse
than expected in a late-Tuesday earnings report, with new revenue
estimate range that fell as much as a half-billion dollars below
Wall Street's consensus revenue estimate.
See also: Texas Instruments tanks the chip sector and investors'
hopes for a rebound
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/texas-instruments-tanks-the-chip-sector-and-investors-hopes-for-a-rebound-2019-10-22)
Overall, however, earnings from American companies have been
better than feared, albeit off lowered expectations. Thus far, of
the 98 companies that have reported third-quarter results in the
S&P 500, 82.7% have delivered results above analyst
expectations, while 12.2% reported below analyst expectations,
according to research provider Refinitiv. By comparison, 65% tend
to "beat" estimates, and 20% fall below consensus estimates,
according to Refinitiv data going back to 1994.
Meanwhile, Parliament's rejection of Prime Minister Boris
Johnson's legislative schedule
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/uks-boris-johnson-inches-toward-securing-brexit-but-with-delays-2019-10-23)for
Brexit reduced the likelihood of a departure by Oct. 31 or a
no-deal exit from the EU. The U.K. government has already asked for
an extension to the end of January 2020, and European Council
President Donald Tusk said on Twitter that he would recommend that
request is granted.
In a light day for U.S. economic data, the Federal Housing
Finance Agency's
(https://www.fhfa.gov/AboutUs/Reports/Pages/House-Price-Index-August-2019.aspx)
house price index for August was 0.2% higher for the month,
bringing annual price gains to 4.6%.
For investors, this week is all about earnings, even with a
critical Federal Reserve meeting set to kick off in less than a
week, said Kate Warne, principal investment strategist with Edward
Jones. "It's not just results," she said, "but outlook and
commentary."
For example, Boeing earnings also missed estimates and
deliveries of new planes fell short, but revenues beat forecasts
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/boeings-stock-rises-as-profit-falls-well-below-expectations-but-revenue-beats-2019-10-23).
However, the manufacturer said it expects the beleaguered 737 MAX
to return to service in the fourth quarter.
"Investors have been more concerned about slowing growth, which
is reasonable, but I think there's been an overdose of pessimism
about how resilient consumers are," Warne said. She pointed out
that Q3 earnings have a tough year-over-year comparison, since
corporations got a boost from the late-2017 tax cuts last year.
From that perspective, results that are slightly better than
expected is solid, the strategist said.
"In an environment of job growth, ultralow interest rates and
central-bank stimulus, this is actually an okay environment and one
in which you need to be putting money into stocks because they can
continue to go higher," she said.
Which stocks are in focus?
Caterpillar (CAT)cut its full-year 2019 earnings outlook as it
reported third-quarter results that also missed Wall Street's
consensus estimates
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/caterpillar-cuts-profit-guidance-as-q3-sales-fall-2019-10-23).
Shares were down 1.8%.
Texas Instruments(TXN) shares tumbled more than 7% after it
reported earnings per
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hilton-worldwide-raises-profit-outlook-2019-10-23)
share of $1.40, excluding certain items, versus the $1.42 analyst
consensus and gave a forecast that was much worse than expected
late Tuesday.
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/texas-instruments-tanks-the-chip-sector-and-investors-hopes-for-a-rebound-2019-10-22)
Nike Inc. (NKE) shares were down 2.4% after the sports apparel
company late Tuesday reported that longtime CEO Mark Parker was
stepping down, effective January of next year. He will be replaced
by John Donahoe.
Anthem Inc. (ANTM) reported a 23% increase in third-quarter net
income
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/anthem-tops-forecasts-on-growing-membership-premium-increases-2019-10-23)to
$1.18 billion, or $4.55 a share, as revenue rose 15% to $26.44
billion after increasing medical enrollment by 1.1 million and
increasing premiums. Adjusted for items, Anthem said it would've
earned $4.87 a share. The health-care company's shares were up
4.1%.
Shares of Facebook Inc. (FB) will be in focus as CEO Mark
Zuckerberg will testify on the social-media giant's effort to
launch controversial digital-currency platform Libra. Facebook's
stock was up 0.9%.
Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (HLT) revised its financial
targets for the year on Wednesday. The McLean, Va.-based company
said it now expects systemwide revenue per available room, or
RevPAR, to increase about 1% on a currency neutral basis compared
with 2018. The company had previously forecast an increase between
1% and 2%. Shares were edging 1.1% higher on Wednesday.
Waste Management Inc. (WM)said Wednesday
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/waste-management-profit-tops-estimates-but-sales-miss-as-recycled-commodity-values-slide-2019-10-23)
it had net income of $495 million, or $1.16 a share, in the third
quarter, down from $499 million, or $1.16 a share, in the
year-earlier period. Shares of the company fell 1.5%.
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. shares (CMG)were down nearly 5%
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/chipotle-stock-climbs-after-earnings-beat-2019-10-22)
after the fast-Mexican company on Tuesday reported third-quarter
net income
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/chipotle-stock-climbs-after-earnings-beat-2019-10-22)
of $98.6 million, or $3.47 a share, compared with $38.2 million, or
$1.36 a share, in the year-ago period. Adjusted for items such as
restaurant asset impairment expense and restructuring, among other
things, earnings were $3.82 a share.
After the market closes Wednesday, EBay Inc.(EBAY), Microsoft
Corp.(MSFT), Ford Motor Co.(F), and Tesla Inc. (TSLA). are due to
report results.
How are other markets performing?
The 10-year Treasury note yield fell to 1.738% on Wednesday from
1.768% late Tuesday in New York. The mixed corporate outlook has
investors favoring bonds as they wait out the results still due
this week. In Europe, eyes are on Brussels, where an EU agreement
to delay Brexit may lead to U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson
seeking an early election.
West Texas Intermediate crude for November delivery shed 51
cents, or 1%, to
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/oil-prices-set-for-second-skid-in-a-row-as-investors-fret-about-crude-demand-2019-10-21)
$53.96 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, after gaining
1.6%, a day ago. Crude oil resumed its decline as U.S. inventories
expanded for a sixth week, the longest run of gains in almost a
year.
Gold gained for a second day. Gold for December delivery on
Comex gained $7.60, or 0.5%, to trade at $1,495.00 an ounce, after
trading little changed on Tuesday.
The ICE U.S. Dollar Index , which tracks the performance of the
greenback against six major rivals, rose less than 0.1% to
97.56.
Elsewhere, the Stoxx Europe 600 was trading down 0.1% at 394.5.
In Asia, China's CSI 300 index finished off 0.6% at 3,871.08 and
the Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.4% to 2,941.62, while Hong
Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.8% to reach 26,566.73. Japan's Nikkei
225 gained 0.3% to 22,625.38.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 23, 2019 10:26 ET (14:26 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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