Bad news was once again good news for U.S. markets, as all three major indices rallied after Friday’s poor jobs report. Bad news means a weaker economy and could delay the Fed’s inclination to raise interest rates, so traders reacted to Friday’s news with glee and went shopping.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 each gained 0.7%, and the Nasdaq Composite moved 0.6% higher. Among sectors, energy and basic materials led the pack, but all sectors finished higher on the day.
A weaker dollar and an oil price hike in the Middle East boosted several energy stocks higher, including Haliburton Company (NYSE:HAL), which along with Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) and Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT) are three of today’s best stocks.
Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA)
TSLA stock drove more than 6% higher today amid news that Tesla delivered a record number of cars in the first quarter of 2015. On Friday, Tesla said it had delivered 10,030 Model S sedans, exceeding its own previous estimate of 9,500 cars for the quarter, and 55% higher than a year ago.
It has recently been speculated that Tesla is also planning to unwrap a new stationary battery storage system for residences, which could add a much larger revenue stream to the car-maker’s bottom line.
TSLA stock fell from $260 in November to $185 last week, but has since rebounded and finished today just over $203.
Haliburton Company (HAL)
HAL stock, along with Transocean LTD (NYSE:RIG) and several other energy stocks, were all higher today after Saudi Arabia raised prices on crude oil sales in Asia for the second consecutive month, indicating improved demand in that part of the world.
Crude oil gained well over 5% today, effectively reversing the weakness in oil prices following the U.S.-Iran nuclear treaty news last Thursday.
As a result, HAL stock finished the day more than 4% higher on 21 million shares. HAL stock formed a solid double bottom in January, and has been trending higher ever since.
Mattel, Inc. (MAT)
Mattel stock gained nearly 6% after an analyst at B. Riley Financial upgraded MAT stock to a buy rating from neutral.
Analyst Linda Bolton Weiser also noted that Mattel’s $1.52 per share dividend seems safe, even if sales are weaker this year, and lent her support to newly appointed Permanent CEO, Chris Sinclair, a former executive at PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP). Even with today’s price rise, the dividend is still nearly 6.5%.
MAT stock, which has been in a severe downtrend since December, had its best day in almost three years.
As of this writing, Ethan Roberts does not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
