Dow stocks at 52 week highs include Apple (AAPL), Boeing (BA), Cisco (CSCO), Disney (DIS), Merck (MRK), Microsoft (MSFT), Pfizer (PFE) and UnitedHealth (UNH). There are no Dow stock 52 week lows.

The Market

Premarket today, the Dow was indicated to open down -93 points.

Wednesday the Dow was up +54.45 (+0.20%) at 26,828.39.

Year-to-date the Dow is up +8.53%.

There were 14 Dow stocks up Wednesday.

The Dow stock winners Wednesday were led by Boeing (BA) +1.53% and Intel (INTC) +1.37%.

The Dow stock losers Wednesday were led by Procter & Gamble (PG) -1.58% and Coca Cola (KO) -1.38%.

International Business Machines (IBM -0.34%) was rated a new ‘Sell’ at MoffetNathanson with a price target of $150.

McDonald’s (MCD -0.31%) was rated a new ‘Overweight’ at KeyBanc Capital Markets with a price target of $185.

European stocks are mostly lower and Asian markets ended mostly lower.

The national average price of gasoline is up nine-tenths of a cent at $2.911 per gallon.

Earnings Reports.

Nike (NKE) reported earnings on 9/25/2018 after the market close of $0.67, just beating estimates calling for $0.657 per share.

Walgreens (WBA) reports earnings on 10/11/18 before the market open.

JPMorgan (JPM) reports earnings on 10/12/18 before the market open.

Goldman Sachs (GS) reports earnings on 10/16/18 before the market open.

IBM (IBM) reports earnings on 10/16/18 after the market close.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) reports earnings on 10/16/18 before the market open.

UnitedHealth (UNH) reports earnings on 10/16/18 before the market open.

Today’s Featured Dow Stock

Merck (MRK)

Merck (MRK) is up +27.51% year-to-date.

Financial Calendar

11:30 Challenger Job Cuts (YoY), 13.7%

11:30 Challenger Job Cuts (Sep), 38.5K

12:30 Continuing Jobless Claims, 1,665K, 1,661K

12:30 Initial Jobless Claims, 211K, 214K

12:30 Jobless Claims 4-Week Avg., 206.25K

13:15 FOMC Member Quarles Speaks

14:00 Cap Goods Ship Non Defense Ex Air (MoM), 0.1%, 0.1%

14:00 Factory Orders (MoM) (Aug), 2.1%, -0.8%

14:00 Factory orders ex transportation (MoM) (Aug), 0.2%

14:30 Natural Gas Storage, 88B, 46B