Dow Today: International Business Machines (IBM) 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 up 38 points (+0.3%) at 14,127. During the day, 476.8 million shares of the 30 Dow components have changed hands vs. an average daily trading volume of 626.8 million. The NYSE advances/declines ratio closed at 1,657 issues advancing vs. 1,314 declining with 147 unchanged.

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The Dow component that led the way higher today was International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM), which sported a $2.28 gain (+1.1%) bringing the stock to $205.19. This single gain lifted the Dow Jones Industrial Average by 17.26 points or roughly accounting for 45.4% of the Dow's overall gain. Volume for International Business Machines ended the day at 3.7 million shares traded vs. an average daily trading volume of 3.9 million shares.

International Business Machines has a market cap of $223.83 billion and is part of the technology sector and computer hardware industry. Shares are up 4.8% year to date as of Friday's close. The stock's dividend yield sits at 1.7%.

International Business Machines Corporation provides information technology (IT) products and services worldwide. The company operates in five segments: Global Technology Services, Global Business Services, Software, Systems and Technology, and Global Financing. The company has a P/E ratio of 14, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7.

TheStreet Ratings rates International Business Machines as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its growth in earnings per share, increase in net income, notable return on equity, expanding profit margins and increase in stock price during the past year. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had generally high debt management risk by most measures that we evaluated.

• You can view the full International Business Machines Ratings Report.

Holding the Dow back today was United Technologies (NYSE:UTX), which lagged the broader Dow index with a $1 decline (-1.1%) bringing the stock to $89.13. Volume for United Technologies ended the day at 3.1 million shares traded vs. an average daily trading volume of four million shares.

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United Technologies has a market cap of $83 billion and is part of the industrial goods sector and aerospace/defense industry. Shares are up 10.4% year to date as of Friday'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 16.9, 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 increase in stock price during the past year. 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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