October 30, 2014: Markets opened mixed again on Thursday with the DJIA opening higher on the strength of a big earnings beat by the index’s most influential component. The first estimate of third-quarter GDP beat estimates, but didn’t give stocks a boost out of the gate. That boost showed up later. Shortly before the closing bell the DJIA traded up 1.20% for the day, the S&P 500 traded up 0.49%, and the Nasdaq Composite traded up 0.21%.

The Dow 30 stock posting the largest daily gain ahead of the close today was Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) which traded up 10.46% at $237.12. The stock’s 52-week range is $194.26 to $239.28, a new high set today. Given its weight, Visa virtually carried the DJIA today after reporting earnings. Volume was nearly 5-times the daily average of around 2.5 million shares.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK) traded up 1.76% at $57.19. The stock’s 52-week range is $44.62 to $61.33. Trading volume was about 10% above the daily average of around 10 million shares. The company had no specific news today, but a cancer drug won breakthrough-therapy designation on Monday.

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. (NYSE: DD) which traded higher by 1.11% at $67.54. The stock’s 52-week range is $59.35 to $72.92. Volume was 35% below the daily average of around 5 million shares. The company said it will sell some of its crop-protection and land-management assets to Bayer AG.

The Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) traded higher by 1.09% at $41.40. The stock’s 52-week range is $36.89 to $44.87. Volume was about 15% above the daily average of around 16.7 million shares. The company had no specific news today, but its Australian bottler and distributor plans a $500 million investment in its Indonesian subsidiary and expects to return to profit growth next year.

Of the Dow 30 stocks 9 are set to close lower today and 21 are on track to close higher.

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