With International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM), the largest component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI), having lost almost 8% of its value, the blue-chip index is down 0.12% as of 1:25 p.m. EDT. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX) is up 0.67% to 1,552.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) is weighted solely by stock price, so International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM), with its $191 stock price, is the largest component of the Dow, with a weighting of nearly 11%. Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) and 3M Co (NYSE:MMM) are second and third with respective weightings of 6% and 5.5%. I find that the S&P 500 is a much more useful measure of the market, as it is weighted by companies’ market caps. However, the Dow is far more popular because it has been around longer.
International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) has plummeted today after it reported worse-than-expected earnings last night. The company reported earnings per share, excluding one-time items, of $3, short of analyst expectations of $3.05. Revenue of $23.4 billion missed analyst expectations of $24.7 billion. The company kept its full-year earnings guidance constant at $15.53. The earnings report is worrisome, as revenue was down or flat across all of the company’s major business segments.
Today’s Dow leader
Today’s Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) leader is Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), up 3.2%. Microsoft and other tech stock were hit hard last week after market research firm IDC reported that PC sales were far worse than expected in the first quarter of the year. While the report put much of the blame on smartphones and tablets, the researcher also blamed Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s Windows 8 operating system for deterring consumers from buying new PCs. The report led many investors to believe that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) would have a weak quarter like many other technology stocks are having.
Last night, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) reported earnings that broke technology stocks’ streak of disappointing earnings. The company reported EPS growth of 18% to $0.72, beating Wall Street forecasts of $0.68, while revenue growth of 18% to $20.5 billion was right in line with expectations.
The Windows division took in revenue of $5.7 billion, up 23% from last year. At first glance, this would seem to fly in the face of the IDC report. However, if you adjust revenue for the company’s Windows Upgrade Offer, which deferred revenue until this year, then Windows revenue was unchanged from the year-ago quarter.
While Windows 8 isn’t doing the company any favors in the sales department, the division is still massively profitable, with an operating income of $3.5 billion in the first quarter. The other big driver is Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s business division, which reported operating income of $4.1 billion — though that was also boosted by deferred revenue from an earlier upgrade offer.
The article Microsoft Stock Is Leading the Dow originally appeared on Fool.com is written by Dan Dzombak.
Dan Dzombak can be found on Twitter @DanDzombak or on his Facebook page, DanDzombak. He has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM). and Microsoft.
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