The markets were lower for a second straight day today as gold (NYSE: GLD) fell apart which caused a spike to two month highs in the dollar. The Dow 30 was of by 85, the S&P 500 lost 10, and the Nasdaq 100 lost 11. Wednesday traders will look towards the Non_farm employment numbers along with manufacturing numbers for more guidance.
Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) stole the media spotlight today as the company hosted a heavily-hyped Google event in San Francisco. The company unveiled two new smartphones under the name Pixel, replacing the Nexus phones Google has been selling since 2010 but haven't created much buzz. They also announced Google Home, the company's smart device that will let users control Internet-connected lights, adjust thermostats or play music by just using their voices. Shares were quiet on the news, but did finish the day positive. (0.30%)
Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI) shares shot higher today in early trading, but were unable to stave off the weak market (0.59%). The restaurant chain raised its profit outlook for the year after delivering better-than-expected earnings for its fiscal first quarter. The company's profit got a lift from rising same-store sales at its Olive Garden restaurants. However, revenue came in a tad shy of analysts' estimates. Volume was well above average as traders digested the news.
AstraZeneca's (NYSE: AZN) US listed shares were off by 1.30% today after the UK drug maker's blood-thinning medicine Brilinta failed to show a benefit over a rival generic drug in a major clinical trial. The company said the goal of generating $3.5 billion in Brilinta sales by 2023 is now unrealistic.