Dow stocks at 52 week highs include Intel (INTC). Dow stock 52 week lows include Exxon Mobil (XOM).

The Market

Premarket today, the Dow was indicated to open down -259 points.

Wednesday the Dow was down -82.76 (-0.33%) at 24,801.36.

Year-to-date the Dow is up +0.33%.

There were 19 Dow stocks up Wednesday.

The Dow stock winners Wednesday were led by IBM (IBM) +1.67% and Intel (INTC) +1.20%.

The Dow stock losers Wednesday were Exxon Mobil (XOM) -2.52% and Travelers (TRV) -1.78%.

The rate of layoffs as measured by U.S. jobless claims rose sharply in early March, just one week after dropping to the lowest level since 1969. Initial U.S. jobless claims rose by 21,000 to 231,000 in the seven days ended March 3. Its highest level in six weeks. Economists had forecast claims to total 220,000. The monthly average of claims edged up 2,000 to 222,500, but it’s just slightly above a 50-year low. The number of people already collecting unemployment benefits, known as continuing claims, fell by 65,000 to 1.87 million.

European stocks are mostly higher and Asian markets ended higher.

The national average price of gasoline is up six-tenths of a cent at $2.532 per gallon.

Earnings Reports.

There are no Dow stocks set to report earnings in the near term.

Today’s Featured Dow Stock

United Technologies (UTX)

United Technologies (UTX) is up +2.63% year-to-date.

Financial Calendar

12:30 Challenger Job Cuts (YoY), -2.8%

12:30 Challenger Job Cuts (Feb), 44.7K

13:30 Continuing Jobless Claims, 1,921K, 1,931K

13:30 Initial Jobless Claims, 220K, 210K

13:30 Jobless Claims 4-Week Avg., 220.50K

14:45 Bloomberg Consumer Confidence, 56.2

15:30 Natural Gas Storage, -58B, -78B