What's Pumping Up the Dow This Morning
Economists have hoped that 2013 might be the year when the recovery moves into overdrive, and so far at least, signs of accelerating growth are popping up. With a big jump in housing starts to a nearly five-year high and a substantial drop in the volatile weekly jobless-claims numbers to their lowest level since 2008, investors cheered the news with the expectation that faster growth will lead to better results from companies. By 10:45 a.m. EST, the Dow Jones Industrials were up almost 60 points, and broader market measures were also up roughly half a percent.
Within the Dow, the biggest gainer is Intel , which is up 1.3% in advance of its earnings release this afternoon. With analysts expecting a big year-over-year drop in earnings on slightly slower sales, any unexpectedly positive news could send the long-depressed stock soaring. With Intel seeking to expand its mobile presence while shoring up its traditionally strong PC-related lines, the report will give clues to the state of the entire technology industry.
Beyond the Dow, Power-One has plunged almost 9% after warning that it would lose money in its fourth quarter. With analysts expecting a profit of $0.07 per share from the company, Power-One's news shocked shareholders with a big downward revision to expected revenue, which it blamed on weakness in European markets and foreign-currency effects. Given that the solar industry has long relied on Europe, it's hard to understand why the company couldn't have sooner anticipated the impact of weak economic conditions there.
Finally, Sturm Ruger has climbed 3.2%, extending big gains from yesterday after the Obama administration came out with some proposals for strengthening gun-control laws. Because most of the attention in the measures is focused on assault weapons, investors clearly believe that the threat to Sturm Ruger and Smith & Wesson , which has also soared in response to the proposal, isn't as large as initially feared.
Don't miss out
The best gains in the market are available for bold investors. Let Motley Fool co-founder David Gardner lead you to revolutionary stock picks that beat the market by taking advantage of his limited-time offer of a personal tour of his Supernova service. You only have a few more days to take David up on his offer, so don't wait -- click here to get instant access right now.
The article What's Pumping Up the Dow This Morning originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Dan Caplinger has no position in any stocks mentioned. You can follow him on Twitter @DanCaplinger. The Motley Fool recommends Intel. The Motley Fool owns shares of Intel, Power-One, and Sturm Ruger. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
