The 4 Stocks That Boosted the DJIA on Wednesday

Investing

Published: July 29, 2015 4:01 pm

Last Updated: April 28, 2020 6:00 am

July 29, 2015: Markets opened higher on Wednesday and two of the three major indexes spend all day trading above the break-even line; only the Nasdaq Composite took a brief visit into the red this morning. Tech stocks did poorly today, with industrials, financials, and consumer products leading indexes higher. A relatively sharp drop in crude oil inventory sent prices up more than 2% to an intra-day high of around $49.50. Gold settled at $1,092.60, down 0.3% on the day, but got a little boost in electronic trading after the FOMC announcement at 2 p.m. Shortly before the closing bell the DJIA traded up 0.71% for the day, the S&P 500 traded up 0.76%, and the Nasdaq Composite traded up 0.52%.

The DJIA stock posting the largest daily percentage gain ahead of the close Wednesday was Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) which traded higher by 2.15%% at $46.31. The stock’s 52-week range is $40.12 to $50.05. Trading volume was slightly above the daily average of around 32 million. The company released Windows 10 into the wild today, and reviews have been mostly positive.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK ) traded up 1.89 at $58.61. The stock’s 52-week range is $52.49 to $63.62. About 10 million shares traded hands today, around 5% above the daily average of about 9.5million. The company had no specific news today, but reported solid earnings earlier this week.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) traded up 1.59% at $46.62. The stock’s 52-week range is $45.09 to $52.15. Trading volume was about 25% below the daily average of around 15 million. The company said yesterday that it will offer a version of HBO’s HBO Now streaming video service.

The Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) traded up 1.81% at $144.38. The stock’s 52-week range is $116.32 to $158.83. Trading volume was was about 30% below the daily average of around 3.5 million. The company is competing for a large order from an Indian airline and has said it may move some work offshore if the U.S. Export-Import Bank reauthorization fails.

Of the Dow 30 stocks 26 are set to close higher today and 4 are on track to close lower.

ALSO READ: The 10 Jobs With the Most Job Security

Are You Ahead, or Behind on Retirement? (sponsor)

If you’re one of the over 4 Million Americans set to retire this year, you may want to pay attention. Many people have worked their whole lives preparing to retire without ever knowing the answer to the most important question: are you ahead, or behind on your retirement goals?

Don’t make the same mistake. It’s an easy question to answer. A quick conversation with a financial advisor can help you unpack your savings, spending, and goals for your money. With SmartAsset’s free tool, you can connect with vetted financial advisors in minutes.

Why wait? Click here to get started today!