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'Market Earnings Recap' Week Ending January 25th, 2019

NEW YORK, January 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

FinancialBuzz.com News Commentary  

U.S. markets had mixed reactions throughout the week, primarily led by global economic concerns and earnings results. Markets were closed on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, however, the Dow Jones plummeted by as much as 460.89 points, or 1.8%, on Tuesday since Friday's close. The Dow pulled back due to China's economic growth after reports surfaced that it grew 6.6% last year. The report matched analysts' expectations, however, it was also China's slowest growth pace since 1990. China's slowing economy comes as it is trying to negotiate deals with the U.S. in order to settle its ongoing trade wars. On Wednesday, U.S. markets were lifted shortly, specifically led by stronger-than-expected earnings from IBM and Procter & Gamble. However, the short rally was quickly erased after the opening bell on Wednesday. Stocks remained mixed leading into Thursday, despite strong earnings delivered by the airline and chip sectors. The better-than-expected earnings were offset after Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told CNBC that the U.S. is still "miles and miles" away from a trade deal with China. Also, the government shutdown entering into its 34th day also weighed down markets. The Senate is now voting on possibly ending the shutdown in order to negotiate differences and pay federal workers. S&P 500 fell by 34.68 points or 1.2% from Friday's closing bell into Thursday's open, while the Nasdaq Composite slid by 112.3 points, or 1.56%, in the same period. JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ: JBLU), American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL), International Business Machine Corporation (NYSE: IBM), Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC), eBay, Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY)

Investors and analysts are now paying close attention to the ongoing trade war as well as upcoming earnings. Leading into Thursday, many companies have reported positive earnings. According to CNBC, more than 14% of S&P 500 companies have released their calendar fourth-quarter results so far. Of those companies, 72.9% have topped earnings estimates, according to FactSet data. However, only 58.7% of those companies have beaten sales forecasts. Overall, profits for the companies that have reported have grown by 13.2%, just above expectations. Despite the positive gains, it still represents the slowest pace of earnings growth since the fourth quarter of 2017, when S&P 500 profits expanded by 15.5%.