Stock Market Today: Dow Slips After Travelers' Earnings Miss
The property and casualty insurer posted a bottom-line miss as catastrophe losses spiked.
Stocks opened higher Wednesday but didn't stay there for long as anxiety over higher-for-longer interest rates weighed on sentiment. A selloff in several Magnificent 7 stocks didn't help matters.
Hawkish commentary from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who said that the federal funds rate could remain at a restrictive level if high inflation persists, sent stocks lower Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average eked out a win, though, thanks to post-earning strength from UnitedHealth Group (UNH) stock.
Shares of UNH continued to rise today, adding 2.2%, which helped the Dow stay in positive territory for most of the day. However, the 30-stock index eventually closed down 0.1% at 37,753 as Travelers Companies (TRV) tumbled 7.4% after earnings. This marked TRV's worst day since June 11, 2020, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The property and casualty insurance firm reported first-quarter earnings of $4.69 per share on $11.2 billion in revenue. Analysts were anticipating earnings of $4.92 per share on $11.2 billion in sales.
Weighing on the results were catastrophe losses, which rose to $712 million from $535 million in the year-ago period. The increase "primarily resulted from severe wind and hail storms in the central and eastern regions of the United States," according to the earnings release.
CFRA Research analyst Catherine Seifert maintained a Buy rating on the Dow Jones stock after earnings. "Though the mixed results temper our view, we expect TRV to post 12% to 14% higher operating revenues in 2024 and 2025 and expect corrective action to improve the Bond & Specialty results," Seifert writes in a note to clients.
Nvidia drags on S&P 500, Nasdaq
The S&P 500 (-0.6% at 5,022) and Nasdaq Composite (-1.2% at 15,683), meanwhile, finished in negative territory as a number of mega-cap tech stocks sold off.
Most notable was Nvidia's (NVDA) 3.9% slide, which erased $83 billion in market value for chipmaker. While today's downside move came after a disappointing earnings report for semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML Holding (ASML, -7.1%), NVDA has already been in a period of consolidation over the past month after a red-hot start to the year.
NVDA shareholders shouldn't be too concerned, though. While shares are down 11% since March 25, they remain 70% higher for the year-to-date. Tactical investors may even see this as "an opportunity for some dip buying, as the CEO himself did say we are in the early innings of the AI revolution," says Ken Mahoney, president of Mahoney Asset Management.
United Airlines soars after Q1 beat
Elsewhere on Wall Street, United Airlines (UAL) rose 17.5% after the air carrier reported a narrower-than-expected per-share loss of 15 cents for its first quarter. Revenue of $12.5 billion exceeded expectations too. The company also gave upbeat Q2 and full-year guidance.
"We expect demand for air travel to continue its post-pandemic recovery, with strong growth in international travel, and look for higher revenues to outweigh inflationary headwinds," said Argus Research analyst John Staszak. "We also expect the company to benefit from constrained industry capacity due to the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX 9."
Staszak maintained a Buy rating on UAL stock and lifted his price target to $51 from $48.
The earnings calendar really starts to heat up into the end of the week. Streaming giant Netflix (NFLX, -0.6%), for one, is set to report after tomorrow's close. And results from consumer discretionary giant Procter & Gamble (PG, +0.6%) are due out Friday morning.
Related content
- Super Micro Computer: Why This Hot Stock Could Hit $1,500
- Kiplinger's Economic Calendar
- Best Marijuana Stocks to Buy: Cannabis Stocks for Investing
-
Stocks Climb Wall of Worry to Hit New Highs: Stock Market TodayThe Trump administration's threats to Fed independence and bank profitability did little to stop the bulls on Monday.
-
How Worried Should Investors Be About a Jerome Powell Investigation?The Justice Department served subpoenas on the Fed about a project to remodel the central bank's historic buildings.
-
Will Soaring Health Care Premiums Tank Your Early Retirement?If you're under 65 and want to retire soon, your plan may be derailed by skyrocketing ACA marketplace premiums. Here's what you can do.
-
Stocks Climb Wall of Worry to Hit New Highs: Stock Market Today
The Trump administration's threats to Fed independence and bank profitability did little to stop the bulls on Monday.
-
How Worried Should Investors Be About a Jerome Powell Investigation?
The Justice Department served subpoenas on the Fed about a project to remodel the central bank's historic buildings.
-
5 Golden Rules We (Re)learned in 2025 About InvestingSome investing rules are timeless, and 2025 provided plenty of evidence demonstrating why they're useful. Here's a reminder of what we (re)learned.
-
I'm a Financial Adviser: Here's How to Earn a Fistful of Interest on Your Cash in 2026 (Just Watch Out for the Taxes)Is your cash earning very little interest? With rates dropping below 4%, now is the time to lock in your cash strategy. Just watch out for the tax implications.
-
How Oil and Gas Investing Can Stabilize Returns and Shield Against Market Volatility: Tips From a Financial ProDirect exposure to oil and natural gas projects can strengthen a portfolio's long-term resilience with non-market-correlated cash flow and an inflation hedge.
-
How to Navigate the Silence After Your Business Sells for $5 Million: Tips From a Financial PlannerThe silence after a big sale can be disorienting. It's essential to redefine your identity and focus on your purpose before rushing into the next big thing.
-
Turning 59½: 5 Planning Moves Most Pre-Retirees OverlookAge 59½ isn't just when you can access your retirement savings tax-free. It also signals the start of retirement planning opportunities you shouldn't miss.
-
Are Your Retirement Numbers Not Looking Good? A Financial Adviser Runs Through Your OptionsIf you're worried about a shortfall between your income and expenses in retirement, you're not alone. But there are ways you can make up the difference.
