U.S. equities are pushing higher on Friday to cap what looks like the ninth straight weekly gain as investors prepare to close the books on what’s been one of the best starts to a year in the markets ever.
From fears over monetary policy tightening and bank liquidity, the clouds have parted and policymakers are once again busily coddling capital markets. The Federal Reserve is full-on dovish again. The Chinese are stimulating their economy. President Donald Trump is frequently talking up the chances of a trade deal with Beijing. And the job market remains strong.
A number of large-cap titans are continuing to extend their push higher. Here are five Dow Jones Industrial Average components to watch:
Intel (INTC)
Click to Enlarge Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) shares are gapping higher, returning to levels not seen since last June, as investors pile into semiconductors with aplomb. A run at prior highs near the $57-a-share threshold would be worth nearly a 10% gain from here.
The stock was recently upgraded to buy by analysts at Morgan Stanley.
The company will next report results on April 25 after the close. Analysts are looking for earnings of 87 cents per share on revenues of $16 billion.
When the company last reported on Jan. 24, earnings of $1.28 per share beat estimates by six cents on a 9.4% rise in revenues.
Disney (DIS)
Click to Enlarge Disney (NYSE:DIS) shares are on the move, pushing up and out of two-month resistance to return to levels last seen in late November.
Analysts at Needham recently celebrated the company’s 5% growth in its ESPN ad revenue, which they noted was well above expectations.
The company will next report results on May 7 after the close. Analysts are looking for earnings of $1.60 per share on revenues of $14.33 billion.
When the company last reported on Feb. 5, earnings of $1.84 beat estimates by 27 cents on a 0.3% drop in revenues.
Boeing (BA)
Click to Enlarge Boeing (NYSE:BA) shares continue to soar as it enjoys a massive and growing order backlog, impressive profitability, and what is essentially a duopoly in the market for wide-body aircraft with Airbus.
This marks a return to form for the stock after a year-long sideways consolidation throughout 2018, with late 2016 and all of 2017 characterized by a steady and persistent rally.
The company will next report results on April 24 before the bell. Analysts are looking for earnings of $4.31 per share on revenues of $25.4 billion.
When the company last reported on Jan. 30, earnings of $5.48 per share beat estimates by 93 cents on a 14.4% rise in revenues.
Cisco (CSCO)
Click to Enlarge With a focus on wireless and networking hardware — amid the chatter around 5G and national security implications — Cisco’s (NASDAQ:CSCO) shares have punched up and out of prior resistance to hit new highs, marking a 25% rally off of its December lows.
This marks a doubling from the levels seen in early 2016.
The company will next report results on May 15 after the close. Analysts are looking for earnings of 77 cents per share on revenues of $12.9 billion.
When the company last reported on Feb. 13, earnings of 73 cents per share beat estimates by a penny on a 4.7% rise in revenues.
Microsoft (MSFT)
Click to Enlarge Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) shares are breaking up and out of a two-month consolidation range, flooding in on their October and December highs.
Analysts at Morgan Stanley recently reiterated their positive view, with renewed confidence in the company’s double-digit revenue growth and operating margin gains.
The company will next report results on April 25 after the close. Analysts are looking for earnings of $1.00 per share on revenues of $29.9 billion.
When the company last reported on Jan. 30, earnings of $1.10 per share beat estimates by a penny on a 12.3% rise in revenues.
As of this writing, William Roth did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
