Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over daily movements, we do like to keep an eye on market changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
Wall Street continued with its stubbornly bearish behavior Monday, losing ground for a fourth straight session. The official minutes from July's Federal Reserve meeting are set for release on Wednesday, when investors will get a better sense of what the central bank thinks about its quantitative easing policies. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI +0.24%) dropped 70 points, or 0.5%, Monday, ending at 15,010.
Chipmaker Intel (INTC +5.48%) was the standout performer in the Dow, adding 1.7% after an upgrade from the investment research group Piper Jaffray. Of course, a mere analyst endorsement is hardly a compelling reason to pile into a stock -- especially when that "endorsement" comes in the form of a neutral rating and a price target below the current price of the stock.
Boeing (BA 2.08%) jumped 1.2% as the aerospace behemoth looks primed to win a contract, potentially worth more than $7 billion, with the South Korean military. Boeing shares also edged higher Friday, as the market reacted to news that the company won't be held responsible for a defect found in several fire extinguishers on its Dreamliner models.
Alcoa (AA +0.00%) lost 2.2%, as aluminum makers worldwide struggle to deal with an excessive supply of the metal. Today, Rusal, the world's largest aluminum producer, reported higher-than-expected losses and announced that it will scale back production to help drive prices back to previous levels. With markets also betting on a Fed scaleback today, commodity prices faced pressure as the dollar gained value.
Lastly, JPMorgan Chase (JPM +1.25%) is in big trouble with the U.S. Department of Justice, which is investigating whether the bank rigged U.S. energy markets. Shares shed 2.7% Monday, as scrutiny from federal officials also mounts on a separate issue; the financial institution is also alleged to have bribed Chinese officials to win business in the country.
