Investors took a deep breath and markets rallied on Wednesday despite continued concerns over military action against Syria.
For the day the Nasdaq moved ahead 0.41% to 3593.35, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.33% to 14,824.51 and the S&P 500 closed up 0.27% at 1634.96.
The Middle East turmoil continued to affect oil markets, as the price of light crude rose to nearly $110 per barrel. Oil stocks benefited from the move, with Chevron (CVX) and Exxon Mobil (XOM) both moving ahead over 2% on the news. Sector players Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B, +1.9%), Marathon Petroleum (MPC, +1.3%), and ConocoPhillips (COP, +1.1%) also tacked on gains.
Gold, on the other hand, climbed in early trading but ended up falling on the day. As a result, Kinross Gold (KGC, -2.5%) Barrick Gold (ABX, -1.7%), Goldcorp (GG, -1.4%) and the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX, -2.9%) all fell after posting early gains as well.
Tech stocks gained back some ground, as Facebook (FB) adding on over 2% despite news that COO Sheryl Sandberg is selling most of her stake. Blackberry (BBRY) shares rose nearly 3% on news it’s considering spinning off its messaging service, while Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) also gained around the same amount on no particular news.
Homebuilders took losses on as a National Association of Realtors report showed its Pending Home Sales Index fell by 1.3% in July — the second straight month of declines. Lennar (LEN, -2%) Hovnanian (HOV, -1.3%), KB Home (KBH, -1.6%), and D.R. Horton (DHI, -1.2%) were all down on the day.
Finally, Big machinery maker Joy Global (JOY) sank nearly 5% despite increasing its share repurchase plan. The company posted drops across both the top and bottom line for the most recent quarter.
Three Up
- Zale (ZLC): Up 29.8% ($2.67) to $11.63. (Read more)
- Cirrus Logic (CRUS): Up 9.4% ($1.92) to $22.42.
- Express (EXPR): Up 6.6% ($1.30) to $21.10.
Three Down
- Allied Nevada Gold (ANV): Down 7.8% (39 cents) to $4.62.
- Taser (TASR): Down 5.9% (70 cents) to $11.15. (Read more)
- Tiffany (TIF): Down 4.4% ($3.57) to $77.25.
Marc Bastow is an Assistant Editor at InvestorPlace. As of this writing, he was long XOM.
