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Nasdaq Shines While Dow Falls On Greece Impasse, Oil

The Dow and S&P lost ground, while the COMP moved higher again

Feb 19, 2015 at 4:28 PM
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The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:DJI) couldn't dig itself out of the red today, as tensions between Greece and Germany, as well as oil's continued drop, put a damper on investor sentiment. In economic news, initial jobless claims came in better than expected, but the most recent Philly Fed index hit its lowest mark in roughly a year. Also weighing on the Dow was Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.'s (NYSE:WMT) disappointing 2015 forecast. The S&P 500 Index (SPX), however, was able to touch another all-time high before dropping below breakeven, and the Nasdaq Composite (COMP) outperformed once again, notching a dot-com-era high.

Continue reading for more on today's market, including:

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI - 17,985.77) floundered below breakeven all day, losing 44.1 points, or 0.2%. Of the Dow's 30 components, 10 finished higher, with Boeing Co (NYSE:BA) gaining the most, up 1.7%. On the other end of the spectrum was WMT, dropping 3.2%.

The S&P 500 Index (SPX - 2,097.45) hit an all-time high of 2,2102.13 before dropping below breakeven, losing 2.2 points, or 0.1%, while the Nasdaq Composite (COMP - 4,924.70) managed another win, adding 18.3 points, or 0.4%, after hitting another 15-year high of 4,929.53.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX - 15.29) dropped 0.2 point, or 1%, amid overhead pressure from its 10-day moving average.

CLOSING SUMMARY – INDICES

CLOSING SUMMARY – NYSE AND NASDAQ

5 Items on Our Radar Today:

  1. Germany turned down Greece's proposed extension to its loan agreement today, saying it was "not a substantial solution." Greece will again meet with eurozone finance ministers tomorrow, as the financially strapped country seeks to strike a deal to avoid running out of cash -- and possibly ousted from the eurozone. (Reuters)
  2. Initial jobless claims dropped more than what was expected last week, boosting confidence that the economy is improving. While some of this decrease can be attributed to the holiday-shortened week, the four-week moving average of claims also saw a dip. (Reuters, via CNBC)
  3. The restaurant chain that had a huge day after blowing analyst expectations out of the water.
  4. Three companies that got a post-earnings lift.
  5. Lululemon Athletica inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) call buyers were active today.
EARNINGS

For a look at today's options movers and commodities activity, head to page 2.

STOCKS – NOTABLE CALL ACTIVITY

STOCKS – NOTABLE PUT ACTIVITY

Commodities:

Oil fell for a second straight day, after the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a bigger-than-expected surplus in domestic stockpiles. In fact, crude inventories rose by a record 7.7 million barrels last week, touching an all-time high. At the close, oil for April delivery was off $0.99, or 1.9%, to close at $51.83 per barrel.

Gold rebounded from yesterday's drop, on the heels of the Federal Open Market Committee's (FOMC) meeting minutes and the latest hurdle in the Germany-Greece dispute. April-dated gold added $7.40, or 0.5%, to close at $1,207.60 an ounce.

 
 

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