The Home Depot, Inc. (HD), United Technologies Corporation (UTX), and A Handful of Losers Missing Today’s Rally

Today the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) is regaining some of the ground it lost last week. As of 12:50 p.m. EDT the blue-chip index is up 129 points, or 0.88%, putting it within striking distance of the elusive 15,000-point mark. The other two major indexes are also on the rise: The S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX) has gained 0.94%, and the NASDAQ-100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) is up 1.14%. Of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI)’s 30 components, only six are in the red at the time of writing.

Shares of The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) are again moving lower today, down 0.27% despite the report that new-homes sales rose 1.5% in March. This report comes one day after the existing-homes sales number was reported to have fallen 0.6% in March. While an increase in new-home sales is great for homebuilders and should be a sign that the economy is strengthening, The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) would likely prefer to see existing-home sales performing better. People who buy new homes aren’t likely to spend a ton of money changing things like wall paint and flooring. But with an existing home, those are some of the first things a new owner will replace — and such things are found at The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD). Additionally, preparing an existing home for sale could lead homeowners into a The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) to spruce things up, but that’s not something that happens when a new home is sold.

Shares of UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH) have fallen 0.6% today. The company announced earnings on Thursday of last week, and shares tanked 3.7% that day alone. The company beat on the bottom line but missed on the top line and announced that a large customer had reduced it policy coverage from full risk to a fee-based plan. Given the uncertainty about Medicare reimbursement rates and how Obamacare will affect the health insurance industry, investors are not sure what to expect from a revenue or earnings standpoint. UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH) will likely be a volatile stock moving forward, and any shareholder should watch the industry closely for any signs of future weakness.