October 8, 2015: Markets opened lower on Thursday but buying in the energy and materials sectors kept stocks near the break-even line until the FOMC minutes were released. The minutes indicated a probable continuation of the current interest rate policy until at least the end of this year. Crude oil settled at $49.43 a barrel, up 3.4% for the day. Gold settled at $1,144.30, down 0.4%, but climbed to $1,150 in after-hours trading following the release of the FOMC minutes. Equities were headed for a higher close shortly before the closing bell as the DJIA traded up 0.79% for the day, the S&P 500 traded up 0.86%, and the Nasdaq Composite traded up 0.35%.

The DJIA stock posting the largest daily percentage gain ahead of the close Thursday was Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) which traded higher by 2.36% at $124.98. The stock’s 52-week range is $83.85 to $126.49. Trading volume was about 30% below the daily average of around 4.2 million. The company’s shares were raised from Neutral to Buy today by DA Davidson.

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) traded up 2.15% at $71.89. The stock’s 52-week range is $62.99 to $107.12. Trading volume was about 35% below the daily average of around 7.7 million. The company had no specific news today.

Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) traded up 1.96% at $89.85. The stock’s 52-week range is $69.58 to $120.17. Trading volume was about 10% below the daily average of around 11.7 million. The company had no specific news today, but higher oil prices keep pushing Chevron’s stock higher.

The Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) traded up 1.53% at $139.12. The stock’s 52-week range is $115.14 to $158.83. Trading volume was more about 30% below the daily average of around 3.8 million. The stock got a boost from the company’s report of 182 new orders in the third quarter. Year to date Boeing has booked 507 new orders compared with 875 for rival Airbus. Boeing’s deliveries, however, outstrip those of Airbus.

Of the Dow 30 stocks 24 are set to close higher today and 6 are on track to close lower.

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