BMO Capital Markets chief investment strategist explains why he raised his year-end S&P 500 target on 'Making Money.'
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 40,000 for the first time ever on Friday after hitting the milestone the day before. Investors celebrated solid earnings and a slight easing of consumer inflation last month. It marks the third 1,000 point milestone of 2024.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I:DJI | DOW JONES AVERAGES | 40563.06 | +554.67 | +1.39% |
| WMT | WALMART INC. | 73.17 | +4.57 | +6.65% |
The Dow has gained 6% this year and a strong quarter from the nation's largest retailer, Walmart, helped propel gains on Thursday. It closed above 30,000 on Nov. 24, 2020. Investors are also betting inflation may cool enough for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates at least twice this year, according to the CME's FedWatch Tool.
WALMART SEES A STRETCHED CONSUMER
Dow Jones Industrial Average
Goldman Sachs has added the most points, since 30,000, while 3M and Disney have subtracted the most, as tracked by Dow Jones Market Data Group.
APRIL INFLATION REPORT A MIXED BAG
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS | THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC. | 499.02 | +0.32 | +0.06% |
| MMM | 3M CO. | 127.17 | +1.09 | +0.87% |
Other notable contributors include Microsoft, UnitedHealth and Caterpillar.
The Road to Dow 40,000 (Dow Jones Market Data Group)
Still, the 30-member index is trailing the S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq, which are also trading near new records.
BUFFETT'S BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY REVEALS NEW STOCK HOLDING
Both indexes have risen about 11% this year as 77% of companies have exceeded profit estimates this season.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP500 | S&P 500 | 5543.22 | +88.01 | +1.61% |
| I:COMP | NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX | 17594.49561 | +401.89 | +2.34% |
Google and Nvidia are trading at record highs. The chipmaker's highly anticipated earnings report is set for May 22.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GOOGL | ALPHABET INC. | 161.30 | +0.93 | +0.58% |
| NVDA | NVIDIA CORP. | 122.86 | +4.78 | +4.05% |
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