Dow stocks at 52 week highs include Home Depot (HD), JPMorgan (JPM) and Travelers (TRV). There are no Dow stock 52 week lows.

The Market

Welcome to 2015!

Premarket today, the Dow was indicated to open up +72 points.

Wednesday, the Dow closed down -160.00 (-0.89%) at 17,823.07.

Year-to-date the Dow is up 0.00%. Lets see what the first trading day of 2015 brings us.

There were 2 Dow stocks up Wednesday.

Dow stock winners Wednesday include Home Depot (HD) +0.67% and International Business Machines (IBM) +0.24%.

Dow stock losers Wednesday include Cisco (CSCO) -1.92% and UnitedHealth (UNH) -1.71%.

Wednesday, initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased by 17,000 to a seasonally adjusted 298,000 for the week ended Dec. 27. That followed four straight weeks of declines. Economists had forecast claims rising to 290,000 last week. The prior week’s data was revised to show 1,000 more applications received that previously reported.

European stocks are mostly lower and Asian markets that were open ended higher.

The national average price of gasoline since Wednesday is down 2.6 cents at $2.231 per gallon.

Earnings Reports.

American Express (AXP) is expected to report earnings on 1/15/2015 after the market close.

Caterpillar (CAT) is expected to report earnings on 1/27/2015 before the market open.

Dupont (DD) will report earnings on 1/27/2015 before the market open.

General Electric (GE) will report earnings on 1/23/2015 before the market open.

Goldman Sachs (GS) will report earnings on 1/16/2015 before the market open.

International Business Machines (IBM) is expected to report earnings on 1/20/2015 after the market close.

Intel (INTC) will report earnings on 1/15/2015 after the market close.

Johnson & Johnson will report earnings on 1/20/2015 before the market open.

JPMorgan (JPM) will report earnings on 1/14/2015 before the market open.

McDonald’s (MCD) will report earnings on 1/23/2015 before the market open.

3M (MMM) will report earnings on 1/27/2015 before the market open.

Microsoft (MSFT) will report earnings on 1/26/2015 after the market close.

Pfizer (PFE) will report earnings on 1/27/2015 before the market open.

Procter & Gamble (PG) is expected to report earnings on 1/27/2015 before the market open.

AT&T (T) will report earnings on 1/27/2015 after the market close.

Travelers (TRV) will report earnings on 1/22/2015 before the market open.

UnitedHealth (UNH) will report earnings on 1/21/2015 before the market open.

United Technologies (UTX) is expected to report earnings on 1/21/2015 before the market open.

Verizon (VZ) will report earnings on 1/22/2015 before the market open.

Notable earnings reports from Wednesday include:

There were no notable earnings reports Wednesday.

Stocks reporting earnings today include:

There are no notable earnings reports expected Friday.

Today’s Featured Dow Stock

Merck & Co Inc. (MRK)

Merck & Co Inc. (MRK) is up 0.00% year-to-date.

Financial Calendar

0830 ET USDA weekly Export Sales.

0945 ET Revised Dec Markit manufacturing PMI expected +0.3 to 54.0, prelim-Dec -1.1 to 53.7.

1000 ET Dec ISM manufacturing index expected -1.2 to 57.5, Nov -0.3 to 58.7. Dec ISM new orders sub-index, Nov +0.2 to 66.0. Dec ISM employment sub-index, Nov -0.6 to 54.9. Dec ISM prices paid sub-index expected -0.5 to 44.0, Nov -9.0 to 44.5.

1000 ET Nov construction spending expected +0.4% m/m, Oct +1.1% m/m.