Why the Dow Is Rallying This Morning

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEX: ^DJI  ) is rising for the second day in a row as the U.S. Commerce Department reported orders for durable goods rose 3% in December. Also, three Dow components reported earnings. At 10 a.m. EST, the Dow was up 75 points to 12,831.

Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT  ) reported strong earnings this morning. Earnings per share were up 60% to $2.32, above analyst expectations of $1.73 per share. Revenue was $17.24 billion, above analyst expectations of $16.05 billion. In early trading, Caterpillar is up 3.5%.

3M (NYSE: MMM  ) also reported earnings before the market opened, with earnings up 5% to $1.35 per share, just above expectations of $1.31 per share. This was above analysts' expectations of $0.33 per share; revenue was $7.1, which met expectations. In early trading, 3M is up 0.9%.

AT&T (NYSE: T  ) reported a $6.7 billion loss, or $1.12 per share. Analysts expected earnings per share of $0.42. Earnings were hit by the breakup fee with T-Mobile, iPhone subsidy expenses, asset impairments, and an actuarial loss on benefit plans. Revenue was $32.5 billion, slightly above analyst expectations of $32 billion. The stock is down 2.1% in early trading.

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