August 23, 2018: Markets opened mixed again Thursday and once again equities stayed within easy reach of the break-even line. A typical summer-doldrums kind of day with low volume and no big news. The tech sector is the only one to have posted a gain of any size and the big losers were basic materials and energy.
WTI crude oil for October delivery settled at $67.83 a barrel, down 3 cents on the day. December gold dropped 0.8% to settle at $1,194.00. Equities were heading for a lower about 10 minutes before the bell as the Dow traded down 0.35% for the day, the S&P 500 traded down 0.20%, and the Nasdaq Composite traded down 0.11%.
Bitcoin futures (XBTU8) for September delivery traded at $6,415, up about 2% on the Cboe after opening at $6,350 this morning. The trading range today was $6,220 to $6,470.
The Dow stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Thursday was Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) which traded down 1.98% at $136.87. The stock’s 52-week range is $114.30 to $173.24. Volume was about 40% below the daily average of around 4.3 million shares.
Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) traded down 1.28% at $78.94. The stock’s 52-week range is $72.16 to $89.30. Volume was about 40% below the daily average of around 11.1 million.
The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) traded down 0.93% at $237.12. The 52-range on the stock is $214.64 to $275.31. Volume was about half the daily average of 2.9 million.
McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD) traded down 0.87% at $159.14 in a 52-week range of $146.84 to $178.70. Volume was about 45% below the daily average of around 3.6 million shares.
Of the Dow stocks, 10 were set to close higher Thursday and 20 were on track to close lower.
Is Your Money Earning the Best Possible Rate? (Sponsor)
Let’s face it: If your money is just sitting in a checking account, you’re losing value every single day. With most checking accounts offering little to no interest, the cash you worked so hard to save is gradually being eroded by inflation.
However, by moving that money into a high-yield savings account, you can put your cash to work, growing steadily with little to no effort on your part. In just a few clicks, you can set up a high-yield savings account and start earning interest immediately.
There are plenty of reputable banks and online platforms that offer competitive rates, and many of them come with zero fees and no minimum balance requirements. Click here to see if you’re earning the best possible rate on your money!
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
