Dow stocks hitting 52 week highs include Salesforce (CRM), Home Depot (HD), Microsoft (MSFT) and UnitedHealth (UNH). There are no Dow stock 52 week lows.

The Market

Premarket today, the Dow was indicated to open up +53 points.

Wednesday the Dow closed down -266.19 (-0.74%) at 35,490.69.

Year-to-date the Dow is up +15.96%.

There were 6 Dow stocks up Wednesday.

The Dow stock winners Wednesday were led by Microsoft (MSFT) 323.17 (+4.21%), McDonald’s (MCD) 242.73 (+2.67%) and Coca Cola (KO) 55.52 (+1.93%).

The Dow stock losers Wednesday were led by Visa (V) 215.78 (-6.92%), Dow (DOW) 56.00 (-4.62%) and Walgreens (WBA) 47.12 (-2.46%).

The government said Thursday its first look at third-quarter gross domestic product only showed a 2% advance. That’s slower than estimates and the second quarter’s Covid recovery boom of 6.7%.

First-time filings for unemployment benefits hit another Covid-era low, totaling a better-than-expected 281,000 for the week ended Oct. 23.

Caterpillar (CAT) rose 1.5% in premarket trading after the heavy equipment maker on Thursday reported better-than-expected adjusted third-quarter earnings of $2.66 per share. Revenue of $12.4 billion in Q3 was slightly below expectations.

Merck (MRK) rose nearly 2% after the drug maker said Thursday it earned an adjusted $1.75 per share in the third quarter. Revenue of $13.1 billion also beat estimates. Merck raised its full-year outlook.

President Joe Biden has made last-minute plans to attend a House Democratic caucus meeting on Thursday morning. He’s expected to personally appeal to the party’s progressives to vote for the stalled bipartisan infrastructure bill, which has already passed the Senate. Biden’s attendance was seen on Capitol Hill as a very good sign that party leaders had finalized a deal on the president’s signature social spending legislation. Biden is scheduled to depart later Thursday for a week of meetings in Europe, including a Friday sit-down with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

U.S. futures are higher, European stocks are mostly lower and Asian markets ended lower.

The national average price of gasoline is up five-tenths of a cent at $3.399 per gallon.

Earnings Reports

JPMorgan (JPM) reported earnings on 10/13/2021 before the open with $3.74, beating estimates calling for $2.996 per share.

UnitedHealth (UNH) reported earnings on 10/14/2021 before the open with $4.52, beating estimates calling for $4.414 per share.

Walgreens (WBA) reported earnings on 10/14/2021 before the open with $1.17, beating estimates calling for $1.028 per share.

Goldman Sachs (GS) reported earnings on 10/15/2021 before the open with $14.93, crushing estimates calling for $10.18 per share.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) reported earnings on 10/19/2021 before the open with $2.60, beating estimates of $2.367 per share.

Procter & Gamble (PG) reported earnings on 10/19/2021 before the open with $1.61, beating estimates of $1.594 per share.

Travelers (TRV) reported earnings on 10/19/2021 before the open with $2.60, beating estimates of $2.002 per share.

Verizon (VZ) reported earnings on 10/20/2021 before the open with $1.55, beating estimates of $1.358 per share.

IBM (IBM) reported earnings on 10/20/2021 after the close with $2.52, beating estimates of $2.487 per share.

Dow (DOW) reported earnings on 10/21/2021 before the open with $2.75, beating estimates of $2.596 per share.

Intel (INTC) reported earnings on 10/21/2021 after the close with $1.71, beating estimates of $1.107 per share.

Honeywell (HON) reported earnings on 10/22/2021 before the open with $2.02, beating estimates of $2.008 per share.

American Express (AXP) reported earnings on 10/22/2021 before the open with $2.27, beating estimates of $1.78 per share.

3M (MMM) reported earnings on 10/26/2021 before the open with $2.45, beating estimates of $2.182 per share.

Microsoft (MSFT) reported earnings on 10/26/2021 after the close with $2.27, beating estimates of $2.058 per share.

Visa (V) reported earnings on 10/26/2021 after the close with $1.62, beating estimates of $1.528 per share.

Coca Cola (KO) reported earnings on 10/27/2021 before the open with $0.65, beating estimates of $0.576 per share.

McDonald’s (MCD) reported earnings on 10/27/2021 before the open with $2.76, beating estimates of $2.456 per share.

Boeing (BA) reported earnings on 10/27/2021 before the open with -$0.60, missing estimates of -$0.168 per share.

Caterpillar (CAT) reported earnings on 10/28/2021 before the open with $2.66, beating estimates of $2.257 per share.

Merck (MRK) reported earnings on 10/28/2021 before the open with $1.75, beating estimates of $1.542 per share.

Apple (AAPL) reports earnings on 10/28/2021 after the close.

Chevron (CVX) reports earnings on 10/29/2021 before the open.

Amgen (AMGN) reports earnings on 11/2/2021 after the close.

Today’s Featured Dow Stock

Boeing (BA)

Boeing (BA) 206.61 (-1.53%) is down -3.48% in 2021.

Financial Calendar

8:30 AM ET GDP

8:30 AM ET Jobless Claims

10:00 AM ET Pending Home Sales Index

10:30 AM ET EIA Natural Gas Report

11:00 AM ET Kansas City Fed Manufacturing Index

11:00 AM ET 3-Month Bill Announcement

11:00 AM ET 6-Month Bill Announcement

11:00 AM ET 52-Week Bill Announcement

11:30 AM ET 4-Week Bill Auction

11:30 AM ET 8-Week Bill Auction

1:00 PM ET 7-Yr Note Auction

4:30 PM ET Fed Balance Sheet