Stock market indexes consolidated at lower levels on Wednesday but orderly profitmaking showed few signs of buyers' exhaustion. Energy futures slid for the second day in a row, dragging sector stocks and funds to two-week lows.
The Russell 2000 and the S&P 500 are trading flat at this hour while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has shed 0.2%. The Nasdaq composite is showing minor strength, higher by less than 0.1%.
NYSE volume has surged more than 9% compared to the same time on Wednesday, while Nasdaq volume is 4% below yesterday's levels.
Weekly jobless claims rose to 260,000 from 254,000 in the previous week, meeting economist forecasts. Challenger job cuts reported 25,810 layoffs in July, a decline from 32,517 in June. Taken together, the job market is easing at a slow and manageable pace, at least so far in this Fed tightening cycle.
Health care giant McKesson beat fiscal Q1 top and bottom line estimates, posting a profit of $5.83 per share. It also raised 2023 EPS guidance above consensus. The stock has rallied nearly 5% on the news and is probing the 340.04 buy point. The 5% buy zone extends to just above 357.
U.S. Stock Market Today Overview |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Index | Symbol | Price | Gain/Loss | % Change |
| Dow Jones | (0DJIA) | 32741.87 | -70.63 | -0.22 |
| S&P 500 | (0S&P5) | 4154.94 | -0.23 | -0.01 |
| Nasdaq | (0NDQC ) | 12708.20 | +40.04 | +0.32 |
| Russell 2000 | 189.76 | +0.01 | +0.01 | |
| IBD 50 | 28.91 | +0.08 | +0.28 | |
Last Update: 1:36 PM ET 8/4/2022 |
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MCK is trading at an all-time high while holding a bullish 97 Composite Rating and 91 EPS Rating.
Price action is benefiting from membership in the well-performing medical-wholesale drug/supply industry group.
Crude Oil Slices Through $90
Western Intermediate crude oil is trading lower by more than 2%, undercutting $90 per barrel. The sell-off has also violated the July 14 low at $88.23, dropping to $87.96 per barrel. This marks the lowest price since Feb. 3.
Energy Select Sector SPDR has fallen 1.8%, the worst performance among the 11 S&P sector ETFs trading on the stock market. The ETF reversed at 50-day moving average resistance on Monday.
Top Earnings After The Close
FactSet consensus expects Amgen to report second-quarter earnings of $4.39 per share on $6.52 billion in sales after the close. The stock is trading 5% below the weekly buy point at 258.55 in a flat base.
Rangebound action in the last five months has taken a toll on the daily RS Line, which has dropped to a three-month low. Amgen is a member of the market-leading biotech industry group.
Monster Beverage consensus is looking for a profit 70 cents per share on $1.61 billion in sales. The stock probed the 98.83 buy point of a 12-month double bottom last week and sold off. It's trading 3% below the buy point ahead of this evening's confessional.
Thursday Stock Market Highlights
No. 2 on the IBD 50, New Fortress Energy posted a loss for the quarter and is trading flat after early buying interest faded. The stock is forming a cup base with a 52.47 buy point. It's now trading about 4% below that entry.
The price of natural gas remains firm on rising demand in Europe. The NG futures contract is currently trading at $8.18, lower by 1.0%.
July 29 IBD Stock Of The Day Exxon-Mobil fell 2.5% to the lowest in nearly two weeks. The 96 Relative Strength Rating looks solid but the RS line has been falling since the start of August and is now at a three-month low.
Wednesday's IBD 50 Stock To Watch Shockwave Medical tagged the 223.25 buy point of a double-bottom base on Wednesday and is hovering just below that level in today's session. The stock has been riding the 10-day moving average since mid-July.
