It sounds like a great way to head into the weekend. The Olympics Opening Ceremony takes place tonight, U.S. economic growth met expectations, and the markets surged for the second straight day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average
The GDP numbers apparently hit the sweet spot between "bad enough for Fed assistance" and "good enough to ease concerns." But that Fed speculation intensifies every time the markets drop, and the GDP numbers alone offer little reason for a nearly 200-point rise. Investors might have feared worse, but an annualized GDP growth of 1.5% offers little room for such optimism. On the other hand, the Draghi comments from yesterday eliminated some of the uncertainty scaring investors, as the ECB chief guaranteed that the Eurozone will remain intact. He could be wrong, but his comments reassured investors, motivating them to take advantage of relatively cheap stocks throughout the markets.
Almost everything except Facebook soared today but, as usual during this time of year, earnings drove the biggest movers. Expedia
Earnings also carried Amazon
But, as always, the euphoria didn’t touch every stock. An earnings miss sent Starbucks
In the end, though, stocks saw a great day overall, and the outlook continues to improve going forward. But volatility will remain, so many investors are looking at stocks with the dividends necessary to survive dips, and the growth potential to soar during big sessions. The Motley Fool identified three Dow stocks every dividend investors needs in a free report. Get your copy before it’s gone!