TOP STORIES 
 
U.S. STOCKS TUMBLE 

U.S. stocks tumbled as investor concerns about disappointing results at blue-chip companies like Microsoft and Caterpillar sparked concerns about the strong dollar's drag on earnings growth. The Dow industrials plummeted 300 points.

 
DURABLE GOODS ORDERS FALL SHARPLY 
 

Orders for durable goods fell a seasonally adjusted 3.4% in December from November. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected overall orders to climb 0.3%.

 
P&G'S REVENUE DECLINES ON CURRENCY HITS 
 

The consumer products giant called the widespread weakening of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar unprecedented and said it led to declines in all of its main business segments. Shares fell 3%.

 
CATERPILLAR SLIPS OFF ITS UPWARD PROFIT PATH AGAIN 
 

Caterpillar reported a 25% plunge in 4Q profit and forecast a 22% drop in earnings per share for 2015 as turbulent economic forces caused the maker of heavy equipment to lose its traction for the second time in the past three years. Shares slid 7%.

 
U.S. NEW-HOME SALES RISE SHARPLY 
 

Sales of newly built, single-family homes increased 11.6% in December from a month earlier to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 481,000. Economists expected sales to reach a pace of 450,000.

 
BLIZZARD HITS NORTHEAST WITHOUT FULL FORCE 
 

A powerful winter storm continued to lash the Northeast, dumping expected record snowfalls on some parts of the region but falling short of dire predictions of a widespread onslaught and crippling power failures.

 
PFIZER HIT BY STRONGER DOLLAR, PATENT LOSSES 
 

Pfizer issued downbeat guidance for the new year, citing the stronger U.S. dollar and recent drug-patent losses, and reported a decline in sales in the most recent period. The drug maker's 4Q results beat expectations, however.

 
AMERICAN AIRLINES LIFTED BY LOWER FUEL PRICES 
 

American Airlines, flush from buoyant fourth-quarter and full-year profits and looking ahead to even better performance in 2015, won't alter its strategy as a result of sharply lower oil prices, Chief Executive Doug Parker said.

 
U.S. CONSUMER CONFIDENCE JUMPS IN JANUARY 
 

The Conference Board, a private research group, said its index of consumer confidence jumped to 102.9 in January from a revised 93.1 in December, first reported as 92.6. The index is at its highest since August 2007.

 
DUPONT WARNS OF CURRENCY HEADWINDS 
 

DuPont gave a disappointing outlook for 2015, warning its profit would take a significant hit from the strengthening U.S. dollar and weakness in its agricultural-seed business. Shares down 3%.

 
OIL PRICES WAVER AFTER OPEC COMMENT 
 

Oil prices fluctuated between gains and losses as market participants weighed relatively bullish comments by the head of OPEC against weak fundamentals.

 
 
 
 
  ======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES ======= 
 
 
Earnings Preview 
BOEING EXPECTED TO POST PROFIT GROWTH 
 

Boeing is scheduled to announce its fourth-quarter and full-year 2014 earnings before the market opens on Wednesday. Analysts expect net profit for the quarter of $1.84 a share.

 
Heard on the Street 
EUROPEAN BANKS WEIGH-UP GOVERNMENT BOND PROBLEM 
 

The Basel Committee has been checking Europe's homework and it isn't pleased. It has told the Continent its banks need more capital to back sovereign risks, just as Europe is writing to its banks to say they need more capital for other risks.