Stock Market News for March 12, 2014 - Market News

Benchmarks ended lower on Tuesday as investors booked profits on a day devoid of major economic developments. Rise in US wholesale inventories and job openings in January    provided little excitement to the investors. On top of that, a fall in small business sentiment somewhat damaged the mood. In the retail segment, the deal between Jos A Bank Clothier and Mens Wearhouse failed to give a positive direction to the markets.

For a look at the issues currently facing the markets, make sure to read today's Ahead of Wall Street article
 
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) plunged 0.4% to close Tuesday's trading session at 16,351.25. The Standard & Poor (S&P 500) fell 0.5% to finish at 1,863.67. The tech-laden Nasdaq Composite Index declined 0.6% to 4,307.19. The fear-gauge CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) increased 4.2% to settle at 14.80. Total volume on the New York Stock Exchange was 3.4 billion shares. Advancing stocks were outnumbered by declining stocks on the NYSE. For 31% stocks that advanced, 65% declined.
 
Tuesday's economic data had little impact on the markets. The U.S. Department of Commerce announced that the US wholesale inventories rose 0.6% in January 2014 after it fell 0.1% in December 2013. This rise in wholesale inventories in January was more than the consensus estimate of a rise of 0.4%.
 
The U.S. Department of Labor reported job openings at US workplaces rose to 3.97 million in January from 3.91 million in December. However, this rise in job openings was less than the analysts' expectations of a rise of 4.03 million.
 
Separately, the National Federation of International Business reported that the small-business sentiment dropped 2.7 points to 91.4 after six of its ten components slumped.

On the earnings front, American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. AEO shares tumbled 7.8% after reporting fourth straight quarter of earnings and sales decline. The teen apparel retailer's earnings slipped 51% annually to 27 cents a share in the last quarter. Its yearly sales fell 7% to $1.04 billion.
 
Urban Outfitters Inc. URBN took a beating as well and its shares fell 4.3%. The company's 5.7% sales increase to $905.9 million during the quarter ended Jan 31 fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $911 million.
 
On the mergers and acquisition front, shares of Jos. A Bank Clothiers Inc. JOSB and The Men's Wearhouse, Inc. MW rallied 3.9% and 4.7%, respectively, after Men's Wearhouse agreed to acquire Jos. A Bank Clothiers for about $1.8 billion.
 
Separately, General Motors Company GM shares fell 5.2% on reports that Federal prosecutors in New York are probing if the automaker failed to disclose issues in some vehicles. The problem had resulted in 13 deaths.
 
All the 10 sectors of the S&P 500 ended in the red. The Energy Select Sector SPDR XLE dropped the most as the sector fell 1.1%. Top five holdings from the sector such as Exxon Mobil Corporation XOM, Chevron Corporation CVX, Schlumberger Limited SLB, Occidental Petroleum Corporation OXY and Pioneer Natural Resources Co. PXD plunged 1.6%, 1.2%, 0.9%, 0.8% and 3.3%, respectively.
 
The Materials sector closely followed the Energy sector. The Materials Select Sector SPDR XLB decreased 1%. Key stocks from the sector such as E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company DD, The Dow Chemical Company DOW, Monsanto Company MON LyondellBasell Industries NV LYB and Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. FCX went down 1.9%, 1.1%, 1.5%, 0.7% and 2.1%, respectively.

 
AMER EAGLE OUTF AEO: Free Stock Analysis Report
 
CHEVRON CORP CVX: Free Stock Analysis Report
 
DU PONT (EI) DE DD: Free Stock Analysis Report
 
DOW CHEMICAL DOW: Free Stock Analysis Report
 
FREEPT MC COP-B FCX: Free Stock Analysis Report
 
GENERAL MOTORS GM: Free Stock Analysis Report
 
LYONDELLBASEL-A LYB: Free Stock Analysis Report
 
MONSANTO CO-NEW MON: Free Stock Analysis Report
 
MENS WEARHOUSE MW: Free Stock Analysis Report
 
OCCIDENTAL PET OXY: Free Stock Analysis Report
 
PIONEER NAT RES PXD: Free Stock Analysis Report
 
SCHLUMBERGER LT SLB: Free Stock Analysis Report
 
URBAN OUTFITTER URBN: Free Stock Analysis Report
 
EXXON MOBIL CRP XOM: Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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