Dow Today: Travelers Companies (TRV) Leads The Day Higher, United Technologies (UTX) Lags

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) closed down 50.0 points (-0.4%) at 13,860. During the day, 505.6 million shares of the 30 Dow components have changed hands vs. an average daily trading volume of 635.6 million. The NYSE advances/declines ratio closed at 1,553 issues advancing vs. 1,423 declining with 121 unchanged.

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The Dow component that led the way higher today was Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV), which sported an 88-cent gain (+1.1%) bringing the stock to $78.46. Volume for Travelers Companies ended the day at three million shares traded vs. an average daily trading volume of 2.3 million shares.

Travelers Companies has a market cap of $29.51 billion and is part of the financial sector and insurance industry. Shares are up 8.3% year to date as of Wednesday's close. The stock's dividend yield sits at 2.4%.

The Travelers Companies, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides various commercial and personal property and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals primarily in the United States. The company has a P/E ratio of 12.5, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7.

TheStreet Ratings rates Travelers Companies as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its solid stock price performance, revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, attractive valuation levels and good cash flow from operations. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income.

• You can view the full Travelers Companies Ratings Report.

Holding the Dow back today was United Technologies (NYSE:UTX), which lagged the broader Dow index with a $1.53 decline (-1.7%) bringing the stock to $87.57. This single loss is lowering the Dow Jones Industrial Average by 11.58 points or roughly accounting for 23.2% of the Dow's overall loss. Volume for United Technologies ended the day at 5.6 million shares traded vs. an average daily trading volume of 3.9 million shares.

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United Technologies has a market cap of $82.31 billion and is part of the conglomerates sector and conglomerates industry. Shares are up 9.5% year to date as of Wednesday's close. The stock's dividend yield sits at 2.4%.

United Technologies Corporation provides technology products and services to the building systems and aerospace industries worldwide. The company has a P/E ratio of 15.9, 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 revenue growth, increase in net income, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and solid stock price performance. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows low profit margins.

• You can view the full United Ratings Report.

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