The Dow is pacing for its best weekly win streak in more than 20 years
It was a short but bullish week for U.S. stocks, despite ugly economic data and the Fed's concerns about the economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) just climbed above the 26,000 level for the first time since November, and is pacing for a ninth straight weekly win -- something we haven't seen since May 1995. Likewise, the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) is eyeing its own nine-week win streak -- which would be the longest since 2009 -- as traders express optimism over high-level U.S.-China trade talks ahead of next week's March 1 tariff deadline. However, our founder and CEO Bernie Schaeffer issued a word of warning about the post-bear market Nasdaq.
Healthcare Stocks Take a Hit
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) made headlines after the company was slapped with subpoenas regarding its baby powder litigation. Meanwhile, Biogen (BIIB) stock took a hit after a negative analyst note, and Diplomat Pharmacy (DPLO) fell to record lows, after the company announced it's delaying the release of its fourth-quarter and full-year 2018 earnings report, and is pulling its 2019 forecasts. On the flip side, this pharma stock more than doubled in one day, after the company successfully completed the final goal in a long-term safety study for its migraine drug.
Analysts Have High Hopes for These Stocks
Citi's "top pick" designation sparked a rally in this mining stock. In addition, battered PG&E (PCG) shares soared after an upgrade to "buy" and a lofty price-target hike. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley is calling for a big Intel (INTC) stock rally. Zillow Group (ZG) also enjoyed some analyst love after the company reported earnings and announced a C-Suite shakeup. In fact, brokerage firms are becoming much more generous with their "buy" endorsements in general, and Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White explained what that could mean for the stock market.
Earnings Winners and Losers
Of course, earnings season is still afoot. Upbeat earnings from Walmart (WMT) helped lift stocks at the start of the week. Roku (ROKU) is heading toward a record weekly win streak after earnings, and Avis Budget (CAR) shares soared after earnings -- much to the dismay of recent CAR option buyers. On the other hand, Stamps.com (STMP) stock took a nosedive after earnings, as the company's break-up with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) weighed on its full-year sales outlook.
Trade Deadline Ahead; Plus, Stocks to Buy and Sell Before Earnings
Investors will be closely monitoring developments between the U.S. and China ahead of the looming March 1 deadline, after which increased tariffs on Chinese imports are set to take effect. However, President Donald Trump has hinted that the March 1 deadline isn't set in stone. Outside of trade talks, Wall Street will be watching the latest batch of corporate earnings, with Home Depot (HD) among the headliners, and Etsy (ETSY) stock flashing buy before earnings. On the other hand, this pharma stock is sending up bearish alarms ahead of earnings.