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.
The stock market continued its strong advance today, with the Dow Jones Industrials (^DJI 0.24%) climbing 135 points and posting its third straight triple-digit gain. As the market has climbed, major-market benchmarks are getting close to their all-time highs once again, with the Dow about 2% below its early August record level and the S&P 500 just about 1% away from a new record high of its own. With most of the negative attention in the market focusing on Apple and its disappointing new-product release yesterday, the broader market was left to continue its upward momentum from earlier in the week.
Still, a few Dow stocks didn't join in the average's gains. Intel (INTC 0.36%) lost three-quarters of a percent even as the company tried to drum up support for combination tablet/laptop hybrid devices that Intel argues offer the best of both worlds for users. Even as the company expects more exposure to popular Chromebook releases from companies like Acer and Toshiba, Intel can't seem to convince investors that potential gains will offset weakness in the core PC market.
Also falling about 0.75% was JPMorgan Chase (JPM -0.01%). Earlier in the week, CFO Marianne Lake quantified the bank's vulnerability to further interest rate hikes, noting that the bank's bond portfolio could lose $15 billion in value in the event of a rate boost of 2 percentage points. With weak mortgage-application activity in this week's report from the Mortgage Bankers Association, JPMorgan is already feeling the crunch from higher rates, and news of potential further losses has reined in the enthusiasm that has sent the stock up about 35% since last November.
Outside the Dow, company-specific news sent two New York Stock Exchange-listed stocks down double-digit percentages. Chinese solar company ReneSola (SOL -1.40%) plunged 21% as it was unable to get favorable pricing for its secondary stock offering to raise $70 million in capital. Buyers in the offering will get not only shares at a price 15% below yesterday's close but also warrants to buy additional stock for $6.04 per share, potentially diluting existing shareholders and reducing potential upside. Meanwhile, Restoration Hardware (RH -1.25%) dropped 12% despite posting impressive growth in revenue and operating earnings. Investors reacted negatively to falling gross margins, and a sharp rise in overhead costs raised questions about whether the company can sustain its growth trajectory while keep expenses under control.
