The market started off weak this morning, with all three major indices dropping about 0.5% in early morning trading. This was largely due to the weaker-than-expected retail figures. Mr. Market then reversed course and decided things weren't that bad, and all three indices closed up for the day:
Index |
Gain / Loss |
Gain / Loss % |
Ending Value |
---|---|---|---|
Dow Jones Industrial Average |
+21.57 |
+.17% |
12,471 |
Nasdaq |
+13.94 |
+.51 |
2,724 |
S&P 500 |
+3.02 |
+ .23% |
1,295 |
The stud
Even though the Dow was up a respectable 0.17% today, Alcoa
But Alcoa's stock shook off the news and has surged 6.1% in the last five trading days. Despite that, Alcoa's shares still trade nearer to their 52-week low after a rough 2011. Being intrinsically linked with the macro economy, Alcoa could be a buy if you're bullish on the state of the world in 2012 -- especially if you buy their expectation of a 7% jump in global aluminum demand.
The other cool kids
Alcoa isn't the only stock on the Dow having a run at it today. Caterpillar
Rounding out the biggest winners of the day is DuPont
There are certainly some Motley Fools that are bullish on du Pont too. Ilan Moscovitz calls it one of The Dow's 10 Biggest Bargain Stocks. He's cited the healthy earnings per share growth over the past half-decade as just one reason to like them. With their hearty 3.4% dividend yield and impressive free cash flow growth, he may be right.
The best approach
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