Toll Brothers Inc (TOL), Hewlett-Packard Company (HPQ): How the Dow Avoided a Bloodbath

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Alternatively, the worst-performing stock on the blue-chip index is Alcoa Inc (NYSE:AA), down by 2%. There are two likely explanations for this. First, after the Federal Reserve released the minutes of its most recent monetary-policy meeting yesterday, many analysts are speculating that it may begin to taper back its massive monthly purchases of bonds. The reduced liquidity could send the prices of commodities, including aluminum, lower. And second, as fellow Fool Matt Thalman observed, there’s reason to believe that China’s industrial purchasing activity is waning, which could put additional downward pressure on aluminum demand and prices.

The article How the Dow Avoided a Bloodbath originally appeared on Fool.com.

John Maxfield has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

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