After an entirely ho-hum day for the Dow yesterday, investors may be hoping for some more movement today. Thursday the Dow Jones Industrial Average
The Nasdaq
The news today
But without any major earnings on the radar, and no real blowouts expected, investors will have to look to The International Trade report for most of their excitement today. The report is being made available by The Bureau of Economic Analysis at 8:30 am. The report is important because it gives a gauge on the overall trade balance for the U.S. A rise in imports is regarded as a positive indicator of strengthening domestic demand. By contrast, a rise in exports is usually read as a strengthening of international economies, or an improving competitive position domestically.
While some may worry that the strengthening dollar will depress exports, with Caterpillar
Total U.S. exports have been the main driver behind the U.S.'s growth since June 2009, the official end of the recession. Caterpillar recently bulldozed earnings estimates, largely fueled by their mining-equipment demand, but also made it clear that they're eyeing international markets for future earnings-stomping-sales. With many expecting that iPhone 4s sales in China will push Apple past their already ridiculously profitable most-recent quarter into even more record-breaking territory, I'd say the export story looks robust
The one number I love
While it's fun to guess if a report will cause the market to zig or zag on a given day, there is one number I love to invest on, one which gives me piece of mind day after day: a company's dividend yield.
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