Dow Today: Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) Leads The Day Higher, United Technologies (UTX) Lags

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) closed up seven points at 13,175. During the day, 448.1 million shares of the 30 Dow components have changed hands vs. an average daily trading volume of 671.4 million. The NYSE advances/declines ratio closed at 1,521 issues advancing vs. 1,448 declining with 122 unchanged.

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The Dow component that led the way higher today was Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE:WMT), which sported a 72-cent gain (+1%) bringing the stock to $74.31. This single gain is lifting the Dow Jones Industrial Average by 5.45 points or roughly accounting for 77.9% of the Dow's overall gain. Volume for Wal-Mart Stores ended the day at 6.5 million shares traded vs. an average daily trading volume of 10.9 million shares.

Wal-Mart Stores has a market cap of $251.33 billion and is part of the services sector and retail industry. Shares are up 24.3% year to date as of Tuesday's close. The stock's dividend yield sits at 2.1%.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates retail stores in various formats worldwide. It operates retail stores, restaurants, discount stores, supermarkets, supercenters, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, apparel stores, Sam's Clubs, and neighborhood markets, as well as walmart.com; and samsclub.com. The company has a P/E ratio of 16, equal to the average retail industry P/E ratio and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7.

TheStreet Ratings rates Wal-Mart Stores as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, solid stock price performance, growth in earnings per share, increase in net income and good cash flow from operations. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows low profit margins.

• You can view the full Wal-Mart Stores Ratings Report.

Holding the Dow back today was United Technologies (NYSE:UTX), which lagged the broader Dow index with a 64-cent decline (-0.8%) bringing the stock to $77.48. Volume for United Technologies ended the day at 3.2 million shares traded vs. an average daily trading volume of 4.2 million shares.

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United Technologies has a market cap of $69.89 billion and is part of the conglomerates sector and conglomerates industry. Shares are up 4.9% year to date as of Tuesday's close. The stock's dividend yield sits at 2.8%.

United Technologies Corporation provides technology products and services to the building systems and aerospace industries worldwide. The company has a P/E ratio of 12.9, below the average conglomerates industry P/E ratio of 13.4 and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7.

TheStreet Ratings rates United Technologies as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, good cash flow from operations, notable return on equity, growth in earnings per share and increase in net income. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had lackluster performance in the stock itself.

• You can view the full United Ratings Report.

For more information on United Technologies Corp click any of the following:

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