Alcoa Inc (AA): All Eyes on This Company as the Dow Kicks Off Earnings Season

Elsewhere, Disney‘s another leader of the Dow today, up 1.2%. The stock has hit a new all-time high today, even as reports circulate that the company’s planning a round of layoffs in its studio and consumer products divisions. Disney announced last week that game developer LucasArts, which Disney acquired when it bought LucasFilm, will be shut down. Layoffs elsewhere in the company wouldn’t be a stretch if Disney is looking to slash costs and consolidate — a smart move, considering the giant acquisitions of Marvel and LucasFilm in the recent past.

On the other side of the Dow today, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is leading the index lower, down 1.3%. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) downgraded the stock to “neutral” from “overweight” today, sparking the sell-off. Despite that move, however, J&J remains one of the broadest and most diverse companies in the health care sector. Its 15.8% run-up since the start of 2013 gives room for pause, but in the long term, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)’s reach across pharmaceuticals, medical devices, consumer products, and other health care fields makes it a stable, safe pick for investors who are in it for the long haul.

The article All Eyes on Alcoa as the Dow Kicks Off Earnings Season originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Dan Carroll.

Fool contributor Dan Carroll has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Home Depot, Johnson & Johnson, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool owns shares of Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Walt Disney.

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