24/7 Wall St.

July 25, 2017: Markets opened mixed again Tuesday as Nasdaq Composite got off to a bit of a slow start, probably the result of Alphabet Inc.’s not-well-received earnings report. The financial and energy sectors traded higher Tuesday while utilities and healthcare were the major laggards. WTI crude oil for September delivery settled at $47.89 a barrel, up 3.3% for the day following Monday’s news of a Saudi promise to reduce exports, among other actions expected to boost crude prices. August gold dropped 0.2% on the day to settle at $1,252.10. Equities were headed for a higher close shortly before the bell as the DJIA traded up 0.47% for the day, the S&P 500 traded up 0.29%, and the Nasdaq Composite traded up 0.03%.

The DJIA stock posting the largest daily percentage gain ahead of the close Tuesday was Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) which traded up 5.88% at $114.54. The stock’s 52-week range is $78.74 to $114.69 and the high was posted this afternoon. Volume was more than double the daily average of around 4.7 million. The company posted strong second quarter results this morning.

McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD) traded up 5.17% at $159.70. The stock’s 52-week range is $110.33 to $159.97, another new 52-week high. Volume was more than double the daily average of about 3.4 million shares. The company also reported solid earnings this morning.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) traded up 2.16% at $78.55. The stock’s 52-week range is $65.28 to $80.47. Volume was about equal to the daily average of around 8.9 million shares. The company had no specific news.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) traded up 1.81% at $92.94. The stock’s 52-week range is $63.38 to $94.51. Volume was about equal to the daily average of around 14 million shares. The big bank had no specific news Tuesday.

Of the Dow stocks, 21 are on track to close higher Tuesday and 9 are set to close lower.