The markets were higher today following yesterday's last-minute sell-off after the Fed raised rates. The Dow closed higher on the day by 55, the S&P 500 closed higher by 8, and the Nasdaq 100 added 51.
Sector News
Consumer services continues to be a strong sector and is already on record as the best-performing sector of the month. Apple was one of the big supporters of the sector today, with Facebook also helping with its recent push off lows.
Utilities and Real Estate saw a temporary break in their selling today as rates settled. Yesterday the Federal Reserve announced they were raising rates, signaling an end to the easy money period. Sectors sensitive to the interest rate have been selling off aggressively since this announcement.
Stock News
Apple (AAPL ) shares enjoyed a nice gain on the day as the stock was upgraded by JP Morgan (JPM ) to overweight in new coverage of the name. The analyst cited growth in the services business and strong iPhone price increases as some of the reasons for the boost. Apple is sitting just off all-time highs.
Shares of McCormick (MKC ) traded in a wild range today as the company announced earnings. Shares moved sharply lower; their earnings beat expectations, but revenue missed estimates. The company raised its outlook going forward, which helped slow the loss to only about 2% on the day.
Papa John's (PZZA ) shares continued to move higher as it was announced that the company has reached out to potential buyers and asked for bids to buy the company. Since hitting a low back in early August during the removal of founder and former CEO John Schnatter, the stock is higher by over 30%. The former CEO has denied claims that he is seeking a deal with private equity firms to take his company back.