Dow Jones Dips; White House Raises Recession Fears; Elon Musk Praises China Rivals; Apple Dips

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell as Apple (AAPL) stock continued to sell off. The White House warned of a recession if Congress failed to extend the debt limit. Tesla (TSLA) slipped after CEO Elon Musk praised the firm’s China rivals.

X

Breakouts were hard to come by amid the challenging action, but two stocks were testing buy points. Home Depot (HD) and Group 1 Automotive (GPI) moved above entries.

White House Recession Warning

The Biden administration has warned of a financial crisis should Congress fail to raise the debt ceiling.

President Biden has been trying to make a deal with Republicans over raising the $28.5 trillion federal borrowing limit. The Federal government will shut down if negotiations are not successful.

“Economic growth would falter, unemployment would rise, and the labor market could lose millions of jobs,” the White House said in a new fact sheet.

Nasdaq Dips As Small Caps Gain

The Nasdaq was the biggest laggard among the major indexes, falling about 1.1%. Zoom Video Communications (ZM) fared best, rising almost 3%. Moderna (MRNA) lagged most, giving up more than 5%. It slipped as the FDA vaccine advisory committee prepares to enter discussions Friday afternoon about Covid-19 booster shots.

U.S. Stock Market Today Overview
Index	Symbol	Price	Gain/Loss	% Change
Dow Jones	(0DJIA)	34582.23	-169.09	-0.49
S&P 500	(0S&P5)	4433.99	-39.76	-0.89
Nasdaq	(0NDQC )	15021.05	-160.88	-1.06
Russell 2000	(IWM)	221.45	-0.74	-0.33
IBD 50	(FFTY)	50.52	-0.18	-0.36
Last Update: 2:54 PM ET 9/17/2021

The S&P 500 also struggled, dipping 0.9%. It is now testing the key 50-day moving average. International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) lagged most, dropping more than 5%. Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) led the upside with a gain of 8%. It was boosted after saying earnings and revenue for 2022 will be much higher than analysts expected.

The S&P sectors were nearly all negative, with only health managing to make progress. Technology and materials were the worst laggards. Steel stocks were melting, with the VanEck Steel ETF (SLX) giving up 4%.

Small caps were faring best, but the Russell 2000 still posted a 0.3% loss.

Growth stocks were running just behind the small caps, with the Innovator IBD 50 ETF (FFTY) down 0.4%.

Dow Jones Today: Apple Stock Sells Off

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was faring the best out of the major indexes, but was still giving up about 0.5%.

Apple was among the losers, falling nearly 2%. It was losing support at the key 50-day moving average, which is a sell signal. It was struggling amid reports Apple Card owners are having problems ordering the forthcoming iPhone 13.

The credit card, introduced in 2019, lets users get up to 3% in cashback rewards when they buy Apple products.

Microsoft stock was another laggard on the Dow Jones today, also falling nearly 2%. It remains well extended past a 263.29 buy point.

But it was chemical stock Dow Inc. (DOW) that fared worst, dropping more than 3%. UnitedHealth (UNH) was the top Dow Jones stock of the day, rising almost 1%.

Tesla Stock Slips As Elon Musk Praises China Rivals

Tesla stock slipped after Tesla CEO Elon musk tried to charm China by praising its automakers at its World New Energy Vehicle Congress.

“I have a great deal of respect for the many Chinese automakers for driving these (EV) technologies,” Musk said according to CNBC.

The Tesla CEO praised Chinese automakers for having some of the best at software, which he claimed will “shape the future of the automobile industry.”

Musk’s appearance comes after the firm was the subject of some negative press in the communist country over the past year.

Tesla made a major move into the China market by opening its Giga Shanghai factory, which is currently used for final assembly of the Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y.

Leaderboard stock Tesla was trying to stay strong amid the broader negative action, but gave up 0.3%. TSLA stock is currently in the buy zone above an alternate entry at 730. A long, deep base is also continuing to form.

These Two Stocks Pass Buy Points

A couple of stocks showed strength by trying to break out, even amid the negative action.

Home Depot stock is sitting just under its buy zone after moving above a flat base and its entry of 338.65, according to MarketSmith analysis.

While it pared gains, the stock’s relative strength line is bending higher. While stock market performance has not been ideal over the past 12 months, earnings performance is good overall.

Group 1 Automotive also tested a new consolidation pattern with a buy point of 182.05.

The automotive retailer is seeing its RS line spike upward. In addition it boasts strong all-around performance, with earnings a particular highlight.

Big money has been snapping up the stock of late, which is reflected in its Accumulation/Distribution Rating of A-. It also boasts four consecutive quarters of increasing fund ownership.

Please follow Michael Larkin on Twitter at @IBD_MLarkin for more on growth stocks and analysis.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Fast-Growing Stocks: See 18 Companies Expecting Up To 749% Earnings Growth In Q3

MarketSmith: Research, Charts, Data And Coaching All In One Place

These Are The 5 Best Stocks To Buy And Watch Now

The Ultimate Warren Buffett Stock Is Near A Buy Point, But Should You Buy It?

Is Walmart Stock A Buy Right Now? Here’s What Charts, Analysis Show