Wall Street falls 1 percent on earnings; Apple rallies late

Another shellacking on The Street today with the Dow plunging a whopping 291 points.  This was all mostly due to a number of major bellwether companies reporting disappointing Q4 earnings, with their respective prices plunging along with the index.  Among these large companies were such noteworthy names as Microsoft, Caterpillar, P&G and DuPont.  Another blow to today's market was a report of business investment unexpectedly falling in December, taken as a sign that those in the know expect trouble.  On the plus side, consumer confidence was rated its highest since August 2007, no doubt as a consequence of all the extra cash people have due to the low price of gas.  Of course the biggest plus is that, even though a few major companies have disappointed, most of the companies that have so far submitted Q4 reports have had results that have exceeded expectations.  But today, the few losers are what caught investors' attention.  Some experts have dismissed this as mere profit-taking, other more cynical observers take it as confirmation of their fears of a poor Q4.  My guess is that the next positive report will shoot the index right back up again.   Volume was 6.5 billion shares, below 2015 averages but above 2014.

Wall Street falls 1 percent on earnings; Apple rallies late

BY RYAN VLASTELICA

DJ:          17,387.21  -291.49       NAS:      4,681.50  -90.27      S&P:      2,029.55  -27.54

NEW YORK Tue Jan 27, 2015 4:52pm EST

(Reuters) - U.S. stocks closed more than 1 percent lower on Tuesday as disappointing results from a number of bellwether companies pointed to weakening conditions, while an unexpected decline in durable goods orders also weighed on sentiment.

The day's losses were broad, with nine of the 10 primary S&P 500sectors lower on the day, though tech .SPLRCT was the biggest drag by far. The group lost 3.3 percent in its biggest one-day drop since November 2011, in the wake of results from industry bellwether Microsoft. Industrial shares fell, led by Caterpillar.

The two names were the biggest decliners on the Dow, but fellow components Procter & Gable (PG.N) and DuPont Co (DD.N) also tumbled.

Microsoft (MSFT.O) fell 9.3 percent to $42.66 a day after the main engine of its historic earnings power - selling Windows and Office to big businesses - showed signs of waning.

Heavy machinery marker Caterpillar (CAT.N) gave an outlook below expectations, warning the recent plunge in oil prices would hurt its energy equipment business. Shares dropped 7.2 percent to $79.85.

"There's clearly a lot of froth baked into certain areas of tech, while Caterpillar is giving tangible evidence that things can go down more than they already have," said Jim O'Donnell, chief investment officer at Forward in San Francisco.

"People may not be aware of the sensitivities that heavy industrial guys have to the oil cycle, or what the ripple effects of oil's weakness will be. There are a lot of companies that are going to be adversely impacted."

With 24 percent of the S&P 500 having reported, 70.6 percent of companies have topped earnings expectations while 55.5 percent have beaten on revenue, according to Thomson Reuters data. That compares with the long-term average of 63 percent for earnings and 61 percent for revenue.

Still, many multinational companies disappointed this quarter, with the stronger dollar a common culprit. P&G was one of the companies pressured by a stronger dollar, sending shares down 3.4 percent to $86.49.

After the market closed, Apple Inc (AAPL.O) rose 5.4 percent to $115 after it posted better-than-expected revenue growth, along with record sales of its iPhone line.

AT&T Inc's (T.N) revenue rose more than expected in the latest quarter. Yahoo Inc(YHOO.O) reported its results and unveiled a plan for a tax-free spin-off of its 15 percent stake in China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA.N), a first step in a highly-anticipated process to unwind the holding, valued at roughly $40 billion.

Shares of AT&T rose 1.8 percent to $33.40 after the bell, while Yahoo added 7.7 percent to $51.69.

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI fell 291.49 points, or 1.65 percent, to 17,387.21, theS&P 500 .SPX lost 27.54 points, or 1.34 percent, to 2,029.55 and the Nasdaq Composite.IXIC dropped 90.27 points, or 1.89 percent, to 4,681.50.

Adding to the day's weakness, a gauge of U.S. business investment plans unexpectedly fell in December, another sign that slowing global growth and falling crude oil prices were having an impact on the economy.

On the plus side, consumer confidence posted its highest reading since August 2007. That helped indexes recover from their lows of the session; the Dow earlier fell as much as 2.2 percent.

About 6.5 billion shares traded on all U.S. platforms, according to BATS exchange data, below the month-to-date average of 7.2 billion.

Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by 1,726 to 1,337, for a 1.29-to-1 ratio; on the Nasdaq, 1,710 issues fell and 1,029 advanced, for a 1.66-to-1 ratio favoring decliners.

The S&P 500 posted 41 new 52-week highs and 10 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 57 new highs and 49 new lows.