Dow Jones Closes Higher Despite Resistance to Debt Plan; Cathie Wood Snaps Up Trade Desk Stock

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ICARO Media Group
Politics
13/11/2023 22h02

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the day in positive territory on Monday, even as House Speaker Mike Johnson faced challenges in his plan to prevent a government shutdown. Renowned investor Cathie Wood made a bold move by purchasing shares of a plummeting stock. Additionally, Tesla experienced a rally due to its Cybertruck-related developments, while other major players like Nvidia and Apple saw mixed results.

Amidst this varied market action, three notable names attempted breakouts, with The Sprott Uranium Miners ETF, PTC, and Camtek testing entry levels. The overall session began with stocks struggling, as Moody's Investors Service downgraded its outlook on U.S. debt to negative from stable, citing high budget deficits and political polarization as key concerns. Although the AAA rating on U.S. sovereign debt was maintained for now, future progress on these issues is crucial.

The trouble began when House Speaker Mike Johnson revealed a two-step plan over the weekend to avoid further government shutdowns. However, opposition has already emerged, and a pressing Nov. 17 deadline looms. Johnson framed the bill as necessary for conservative victories and to end the tradition of last-minute "massive, loaded-up spending bills" before Christmas recess. The proposed stopgap bill would provide funding for some agencies and programs until Jan. 19, and for others until Feb. 2. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized the plan, claiming it would lead to more Republican chaos and potential shutdowns.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq index experienced a slight decline of 0.2%, with electric-vehicle stock Lucid outperforming with a 4.5% gain. On the other hand, Warner Bros. Discovery fell 2.4% following concerns raised by Guggenheim analyst Michael Morris about its lack of National Football League coverage.

The S&P 500 also dipped, slipping 0.1%. DaVita made a significant rally of 6.5%, although it remains far from its recent highs. The best-performing sectors on the stock market were energy and health, while real estate and utilities underperformed.

In the small-cap space, the Russell 2000 closed relatively flat. However, growth stocks had a strong showing, with the Innovator IBD 50 ETF jumping 0.7%.

The Dow Jones emerged as the top performer among major indexes, posting a modest gain of 55 points or 0.2%. Boeing led the Dow, rising 4% despite closing off session highs. The company received a boost when Emirates announced a $52 billion order for 95 Boeing aircraft. Additionally, a Bloomberg report indicated that China may end its commercial freeze on the purchase of Boeing 737 Max jets ahead of the meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and China leader Xi Jinping.

Nike and Intel were the laggards on the Dow Jones, experiencing declines of 1.8% and 1.6%, respectively.

In a brave move, Cathie Wood, CEO of ARK Invest, purchased shares of Trade Desk after it experienced a dramatic plunge. The stock fell as much as 22% following disappointing earnings. Wood's ARK Innovation ETF acquired nearly 543,000 shares of the digital ad firm on the same day. However, IBD recommends focusing on stocks with strong earnings and price performance rather than on laggards.

Among the "Magnificent Seven" stocks, Tesla stood out with a gain of 4.2%. The company's Cybertruck order agreements now include restrictions on selling the vehicle within the first year of ownership without permission from Tesla, potentially resulting in penalties for violators. Nvidia also performed well, rising 0.6% after unveiling its H200 AI chip, which boasts nearly double the output speed of its previous chip. Other stocks in this group, such as Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon.com, and Alphabet, experienced mixed results.

Outside the Dow Jones, three stocks tested entry levels. The Sprott Uranium Miners ETF, which is part of the prestigious IBD Leaderboard list, is positioned just below its buy point after a cup-with-handle pattern. PTC has entered a buy zone following a consolidation entry, with a strong relative strength line. Camtek has cleared a consolidation pattern entry, but caution is advised as earnings are due tomorrow.

For investors seeking strategies to reduce risk around earnings, Investor's Business Daily suggests exploring options as a means of capitalizing on upside potential while mitigating downside risk.

The views expressed in this article do not reflect the opinion of ICARO, or any of its affiliates.

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