Dow finished the day up 124, decliners barely ahead of advancers & NAZ added 23. The MLP index dropped 3+ to the 207s & the REIT index was steady in the 415s. Junk bond funds hardly budged in price & Treasuries were in strong demand. Oil dropped to the 52s while gold went up 6 to 1577 (more on both below).
AMJ (Alerian MLP Index tracking fund)
![Live 24 hours gold chart [Kitco Inc.]](https://www.kitco.com/images/live/gold.gif?0.2180338269244485)
Microsoft (MSFT), a Dow stock, cloud computing services boosted earnings in the last qtr, helping send shares to an all-time high. The company reported fiscal Q2 profit of $11.6B, up 36% from the same period last year & EPS of $1.51 beat expectations. The software maker posted revenue of $36.9B in the Oct-Dec period, up 14% from last year, also beating forecasts. Analysts expected EPS of $1.32 on revenue of $35.7B for the qtr. They are predicting EPS of $1.24 on revenue of $34.1B for the Jan-Mar qtr. Price increases that began in Oct 2018 are continuing to drive revenue, as are MSFT moves to phase out older products such as Windows 7, which came out in 2009. Its efforts to catch up to #1 cloud provider Amazon (AMZN) got a big boost in Oct when the Dept of Defense awarded MSFT a $10B contract to supply the US military with cloud services for the next decade. The project, formally called the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure plan, would store & process vast amounts of classified data. CEO Satya Nadella celebrated the strong profit & revenue, while also calling attention to the company's work “to ensure the technology we build is inclusive, trusted and creates a more sustainable world.” The stock jumped up 4.74.
If you would like to learn more about MSFT, click on this link:
club.ino.com/trend/analysis/stock/MSFT?a_aid=CD3289&a_bid=6ae5b6f7
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak sparked by a new virus in China that has been exported to more than a dozen countries as a global emergency after the number of cases spiked tenfold in a week. The UN health agency defines an intl emergency as an “extraordinary event” that constitutes a risk to other countries & requires a coordinated intl response. China first informed WHO about cases of the new virus in late Dec. To date, China has reported more than 7800 cases including 170 deaths. 18 other countries have since reported cases, as scientists race to understand how exactly the virus is spreading & how severe it is. Experts say there is significant evidence the virus is transmitting among people in China & have noted with concern several instances in other countries — including Japan, Germany, Canada & Vietnam — where there have also been isolated cases of human-to-human spread. China first informed WHO about cases of the new virus in late Dec. To date, China has reported more than 7800 cases including 170 deaths. A declaration of a global emergency typically brings greater money & resources, but may also prompt nervous govs to restrict travel & trade to affected countries. The announcement also imposes more disease reporting requirements on countries.
US health officials confirmed the nation's first person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus, which has already killed at least 171 people in China & infected more than 8200 since emerging less than a month ago. The new patient is the husband of the Chicago woman who brought the infection back from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak, CDC & Illinois health officials said. Health officials said the man, in his 60s, has “some underlying medical conditions” but was in good condition. His wife was doing well but remained in isolation at a local hospital, they said. Public health officials are also monitoring 21 patients in Illinois for possible infections. “This is a very serious public health situation,” said Dr Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization & Respiratory Diseases. “Moving forward, we can expect to see more cases, and more cases means more potential for person-to-person spread.” The virus, which emerged Dec 31, has already spread to more people than the 2003 SARS epidemic, which sickened roughly 8100 across the globe over 9 months. The transmission makes the US at least the 5th country where the infection is now spreading thru human-to-human contact, including China. Officials of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention said there are at least 9 cases of human-to-human transmission outside of China.
CDC confirms first human-to-human transmission of coronavirus in US
Coca-Cola (KO), a Dow stock & Dividend Aristocrat, reported quarterly revenue that topped expectations as new products under its namesake brand boosted sales. The beverage giant reported Q4 EPS of 47¢ up from 20¢ a year earlier. Excluding impairment charges, refranchising gains & other items, EPS was 44¢, meeting expectations. Net sales rose 16% to $9.07B, topping expectations of $8.89B. New products, such as Coke Plus Coffee & the expansion of Coke Zero Sugar, lifted sales during the qtr & led the namesake brand to its best performance in 8 years. As US consumption of soda has fallen, the company has used its Coke brand to create healthier options & branch out into new categories. For example, it launched Coke Energy in the US earlier this month. Teas from its Fuze brand & coffee also boosted its sales. Additionally, KO also benefited from an extra day in the qtr & more customers buying higher-priced products. Global organic revenues rose 7% during the qtr. North American unit case volume, which strip out the impact of currency & price hikes, were flat for the qtr. Volume in its Europe, Middle East & Africa segment climbed 4%, driven by growth in Nigeria, North Africa, Turkey & central & eastern Europe. In Latin America, unit case volume increased by 3%, helped by acquisitions in Central America. Despite weaker sales in China, the company's Asia Pacific business saw its unit case volume rise only 2%. CEO James Quincey said that it is “way too early” to tell the short-term impact of the Wuhan coronavirus on the Chinese business, which accounts for about 10% of its global volume but less of its profits & revenue. The company has closed offices and a number of its factories in response to the virus outbreak. The company, working with the Chinese gov, is reopening some of its manufacturing plants so it can continue to make its beverages for the Chinese population. In 2020, KO estimates organic revenue will grow by 5% & adjusted EPS will increase by 7% to $2.25. Its earnings outlook falls 1 penny below estimates of $2.26 for fiscal 2020. The stock rose 1.87.
If you would like to learn more about KO, click on this link:
club.ino.com/trend/analysis/stock/KO?a_aid=CD3289&a_bid=6ae5b6f7
Coca-Cola stock rises as earnings meet estimates and Coke brand boosts sales
Oil futures dropped, with US prices logging their lowest settlement since early Aug, as worries rise over the potential economic impact from the continued spread of the coronavirus. Today, see above, WHO declared that coronavirus is a public health emergency of intl concern. West Texas Intermediate crude for Mar delivery fell $1.19 (2.2%) to settle at $52.14 a barrel, after trading as low as $51.66. The settlement was the lowest for a front-month contract in almost 6 months. Mar Brent crude, which expires tomorrow's settlement, shed $1.52 (2.5%) to $58.29 a barrel, for the lowest front-month contract finish since Oct 8.
Gold futures climbed, sending prices to their highest finish since 2013, as renewed worries over the spread of the coronavirus contributed to demand for haven investments. The Apr futures contract for gold, which is now the most-active contract, rose $13 (0.8%) to settle at $1589 an ounce. That was the highest finish for a most-active contract since Apr 1, 2013. Chinese authorities said more than 7700 have been infected, with at least 170 dead. World Health Organization officials expressed “great concern” over the virus's spread outside of China. Gold held on to gains after the Commerce Dept said the US economy grew at a faster-than-expected 2.1% annualized clip in Q4. The forecast called for 1.9% growth.
In the last 2 hours buyers returned to bring the averages into the black. Earnings are looking good as shown by the 2 Dow stock reports above. But there are plenty of negatives out there, starting with worries about the ability of the coronavirus to spread. Demand for gold continues to be strong.
Dow Jones Industrials
AMJ (Alerian MLP Index tracking fund)
Microsoft (MSFT), a Dow stock, cloud computing services boosted earnings in the last qtr, helping send shares to an all-time high. The company reported fiscal Q2 profit of $11.6B, up 36% from the same period last year & EPS of $1.51 beat expectations. The software maker posted revenue of $36.9B in the Oct-Dec period, up 14% from last year, also beating forecasts. Analysts expected EPS of $1.32 on revenue of $35.7B for the qtr. They are predicting EPS of $1.24 on revenue of $34.1B for the Jan-Mar qtr. Price increases that began in Oct 2018 are continuing to drive revenue, as are MSFT moves to phase out older products such as Windows 7, which came out in 2009. Its efforts to catch up to #1 cloud provider Amazon (AMZN) got a big boost in Oct when the Dept of Defense awarded MSFT a $10B contract to supply the US military with cloud services for the next decade. The project, formally called the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure plan, would store & process vast amounts of classified data. CEO Satya Nadella celebrated the strong profit & revenue, while also calling attention to the company's work “to ensure the technology we build is inclusive, trusted and creates a more sustainable world.” The stock jumped up 4.74.
If you would like to learn more about MSFT, click on this link:
club.ino.com/trend/analysis/stock/MSFT?a_aid=CD3289&a_bid=6ae5b6f7
Microsoft shares hit all-time high on cloud growth
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak sparked by a new virus in China that has been exported to more than a dozen countries as a global emergency after the number of cases spiked tenfold in a week. The UN health agency defines an intl emergency as an “extraordinary event” that constitutes a risk to other countries & requires a coordinated intl response. China first informed WHO about cases of the new virus in late Dec. To date, China has reported more than 7800 cases including 170 deaths. 18 other countries have since reported cases, as scientists race to understand how exactly the virus is spreading & how severe it is. Experts say there is significant evidence the virus is transmitting among people in China & have noted with concern several instances in other countries — including Japan, Germany, Canada & Vietnam — where there have also been isolated cases of human-to-human spread. China first informed WHO about cases of the new virus in late Dec. To date, China has reported more than 7800 cases including 170 deaths. A declaration of a global emergency typically brings greater money & resources, but may also prompt nervous govs to restrict travel & trade to affected countries. The announcement also imposes more disease reporting requirements on countries.
World Health Organization issues dire warning about deadly virus from China
US health officials confirmed the nation's first person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus, which has already killed at least 171 people in China & infected more than 8200 since emerging less than a month ago. The new patient is the husband of the Chicago woman who brought the infection back from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak, CDC & Illinois health officials said. Health officials said the man, in his 60s, has “some underlying medical conditions” but was in good condition. His wife was doing well but remained in isolation at a local hospital, they said. Public health officials are also monitoring 21 patients in Illinois for possible infections. “This is a very serious public health situation,” said Dr Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization & Respiratory Diseases. “Moving forward, we can expect to see more cases, and more cases means more potential for person-to-person spread.” The virus, which emerged Dec 31, has already spread to more people than the 2003 SARS epidemic, which sickened roughly 8100 across the globe over 9 months. The transmission makes the US at least the 5th country where the infection is now spreading thru human-to-human contact, including China. Officials of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention said there are at least 9 cases of human-to-human transmission outside of China.
CDC confirms first human-to-human transmission of coronavirus in US
Coca-Cola (KO), a Dow stock & Dividend Aristocrat, reported quarterly revenue that topped expectations as new products under its namesake brand boosted sales. The beverage giant reported Q4 EPS of 47¢ up from 20¢ a year earlier. Excluding impairment charges, refranchising gains & other items, EPS was 44¢, meeting expectations. Net sales rose 16% to $9.07B, topping expectations of $8.89B. New products, such as Coke Plus Coffee & the expansion of Coke Zero Sugar, lifted sales during the qtr & led the namesake brand to its best performance in 8 years. As US consumption of soda has fallen, the company has used its Coke brand to create healthier options & branch out into new categories. For example, it launched Coke Energy in the US earlier this month. Teas from its Fuze brand & coffee also boosted its sales. Additionally, KO also benefited from an extra day in the qtr & more customers buying higher-priced products. Global organic revenues rose 7% during the qtr. North American unit case volume, which strip out the impact of currency & price hikes, were flat for the qtr. Volume in its Europe, Middle East & Africa segment climbed 4%, driven by growth in Nigeria, North Africa, Turkey & central & eastern Europe. In Latin America, unit case volume increased by 3%, helped by acquisitions in Central America. Despite weaker sales in China, the company's Asia Pacific business saw its unit case volume rise only 2%. CEO James Quincey said that it is “way too early” to tell the short-term impact of the Wuhan coronavirus on the Chinese business, which accounts for about 10% of its global volume but less of its profits & revenue. The company has closed offices and a number of its factories in response to the virus outbreak. The company, working with the Chinese gov, is reopening some of its manufacturing plants so it can continue to make its beverages for the Chinese population. In 2020, KO estimates organic revenue will grow by 5% & adjusted EPS will increase by 7% to $2.25. Its earnings outlook falls 1 penny below estimates of $2.26 for fiscal 2020. The stock rose 1.87.
If you would like to learn more about KO, click on this link:
club.ino.com/trend/analysis/stock/KO?a_aid=CD3289&a_bid=6ae5b6f7
Coca-Cola stock rises as earnings meet estimates and Coke brand boosts sales
Oil futures dropped, with US prices logging their lowest settlement since early Aug, as worries rise over the potential economic impact from the continued spread of the coronavirus. Today, see above, WHO declared that coronavirus is a public health emergency of intl concern. West Texas Intermediate crude for Mar delivery fell $1.19 (2.2%) to settle at $52.14 a barrel, after trading as low as $51.66. The settlement was the lowest for a front-month contract in almost 6 months. Mar Brent crude, which expires tomorrow's settlement, shed $1.52 (2.5%) to $58.29 a barrel, for the lowest front-month contract finish since Oct 8.
Oil drops as coronavirus fears rise; U.S. prices end near 6-month low
Gold futures climbed, sending prices to their highest finish since 2013, as renewed worries over the spread of the coronavirus contributed to demand for haven investments. The Apr futures contract for gold, which is now the most-active contract, rose $13 (0.8%) to settle at $1589 an ounce. That was the highest finish for a most-active contract since Apr 1, 2013. Chinese authorities said more than 7700 have been infected, with at least 170 dead. World Health Organization officials expressed “great concern” over the virus's spread outside of China. Gold held on to gains after the Commerce Dept said the US economy grew at a faster-than-expected 2.1% annualized clip in Q4. The forecast called for 1.9% growth.
Gold prices settle at highest since 2013 as coronavirus worries feed haven demand
In the last 2 hours buyers returned to bring the averages into the black. Earnings are looking good as shown by the 2 Dow stock reports above. But there are plenty of negatives out there, starting with worries about the ability of the coronavirus to spread. Demand for gold continues to be strong.
Dow Jones Industrials
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