Articles > Market Commentary > The Dow Slows Down as More Earnings Come Out

The Dow Slows Down as More Earnings Come Out

Published on Apr 29, 2015 By Aaron Phillips By Aaron Phillips

Markets were down in slower than average trading today. The Dow lost -74.61 points and closed at 18,035.53, hovering around what investors hope is the new 18k floor. The NASDAQ took the biggest hit for the second day running, and lost -31.78 to close at 5,023.64. The S&P 500 fell in line with the Dow, although on a smaller scale. It closed down -7.91 to 2,106.58. In overseas trading, Germany's DAX continued in freefall . It lost another -366.78 points today after a hard yesterday.Genworth Financial ( GNW ) a health and life insurance company, is one business that will be happy to see the value of a dollar rise for now. It might be -- and actually is -- a different story in Japan where life insurance companies are paying out more than they're collecting in some cases. Genworth rose 12% on its Q1 performance, and it's well-positioned to carry through with plans to spin off its insurance arm into a new company . It closed at $8.92 per share.Americans are saving more than they're spending , and Wynn Resorts ( WYNN ) is having a hard time with that. They lost a further 16.61% today, leaving them down 46% year over year and just as much debt. Their earnings report indicated that pretty much everything that could go wrong, did. Wynn fell -21.67 points to close at $108.81.Just like Wynn, when the dollar is getting stronger the last thing a business wants is debt. Humana ( HUM ) is saddled with debt and competing against a bigger marketplace -- and that means falling share prices. Humana lost 7% on the news that it would miss earnings, although the sector has been so hot that they're still up 17% YTD. Humana closed down -13.10 points to $168.01 per share.The fact that the Dow slows down when interest rates rise shouldn't take anyone by surprise at this point. That same phenomenon has been playing out in the UK for the past few weeks. The pound is gaining in value, and their markets have grown in streaks and troughs. Look for the same thing to happen here, as banking begins to make a comeback and consumer durables grow, while just about everything we use day to day gets cheaper -- and less profitable.Salesforce ( CRM ) is the grandaddy of Customer Relationship Management software , which is used by big businesses to keep an eye on social media, targeted advertising, and high-tech customer record keeping. Salesforce posted a great Q1 earnings statement as more companies than ever seek to streamline -- and spy on -- customer relations. Shares of Salesforce rose over 5% in trading today, closing up 3.39 points to $70.28.