The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI -0.98%) was down 35 points at 1 p.m. EDT Friday amid the backdrop of increased economic tensions in Europe. Ukraine today signed a trade pact with the European Union, ratcheting up tensions (again) with Russia. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called this the "most important day for [the] country" since independence.
DuPont lowers guidance
The morning was not as upbeat for chemical and agricultural giant DuPont (DD), which saw its stock drop by 4.7%.
This sudden move lower is a reversal from what has been a rewarding year for investors in the company.
Management announced today that operating earnings for the second quarter and remainder of 2014 would be "moderately below" previous expectations. Last year, DuPont earned $1.28 per share in the second quarter, but management said this year's result will fall well short of that mark.
The company lowered full-year earnings expectations to between $4 and $4.10 per share. Prior to this announcement, most analysts had expected 2014 earnings of approximately $4.25 per share.
Over the past five quarters, DuPont's earnings yield -- the ratio of its earnings to its enterprise value -- has fallen 8.32% to 5.81% as of March 31, 2014. By this measure, the stock may have been overly valued in the markets, compounding the effect of today's lower guidance.
For investors, this ratio correlates to expected returns over the long term -- it shows how well the company will produce profits relative to your investment.
Nike bolts higher
In more positive news for investors, Nike (NKE -0.74%) jumped up over 1.6% by early afternoon Friday. Nike has been in the global spotlight over the past two weeks as billions worldwide tune into the World Cup in Brazil.
After the market closed on Thursday, announced a strong earnings beat for the company's fourth quarter, which ended on May 31.
Sales increased by 11% to $7.43 billion, beating expectations by nearly $100 million. Net income jumped 5.4% per share to $0.78.
The better than expected revenue and earnings were in part driven by increased running and basketball-related sales in North America. This corresponds to the busy spring basketball season featuring the NCAA tournament in March and April and the beginning of the NBA playoffs. Runners also hit the pavement again after this year's particularly harsh winter.
Nike stock has risen 26% over the past 12 months, even though the ride higher has been noticeably more rocky than DuPont's.
Nike trades at 27 times trailing 12-month earnings, according to data from Yahoo! Finance, a hefty price for a $68 billion clothing and sporting goods company. This value premium is likely to persist over the next few quarters as Nike stays on center stage during and after the World Cup.
