Investing

What to Expect From the 2 Major Dow Stocks Reporting Thursday

Chris Lange

Published: January 19, 2017 10:25 am

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 3:44 pm

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has stepped away from its 20,000 mark, and it seems that the animal spirits powering this rally might not be as strong as they once were. Then again, Morgan Stanley issued a call after the election stating that the firm strongly believed that investors should buy the election and sell the inauguration, and most analysts have agreed with this sentiment.

However, earnings have been relatively positive for Dow companies this week, which has stemmed the bleeding, so to speak. If earnings for the Dow continue to be strong, there could be a reversal of fortune.

24/7 Wall St. has put together a preview of the two major Dow companies scheduled to report their quarterly results on Thursday.

We included the consensus earnings estimates from Thomson Reuters and the stock price and trading history, as well as added some additional color on each.

A couple of other Dow companies reported earlier this week, namely UnitedHealth and Goldman Sachs.

Be advised that the earnings and revenue estimates may change ahead of the formal reports, and some companies may change reporting dates as well.

Thursday afternoon, International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) is scheduled to reveal its fourth-quarter results. The consensus estimates call for $4.88 in earnings per share (EPS), as well as $21.64 billion in revenue. The same period of last year reportedly had EPS of $4.84 and $22.06 billion in revenue.

Shares of Big Blue were trading at $166.35 Thursday morning. The consensus analyst price target is $158.90. The stock has a 52-week trading range of $116.90 to $169.95.

American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP) fourth-quarter results are due late on Thursday as well. The consensus forecast calls for $0.98 in EPS and revenue of $7.95 billion. In the same period of last year, it posted EPS of $1.23 and $8.39 billion in revenue.

Its shares were last seen at $77.15, in a 52-week range of $50.27 to $78.00. The consensus price target is $78.56.