The market’s least-volatile stocks look very different today than they did just three months ago, thanks to the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

FEATURE Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus outbreak to navigate the markets today. • The U.S. unemployment rate shot up to 14.7% in April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.

Looking for big dividends that look like they'll survive the COVID-19 crisis in stride? This trio of stocks should be on your short list.

DOW UPDATE The Dow Jones Industrial Average is trading down Thursday afternoon with shares of Exxon Mobil and IBM seeing the biggest losses for the blue-chip average. Shares of Exxon Mobil (XOM) and IBM (IBM) have contributed to the index's intraday decline, as the Dow (DJIA) was most recently trading 75 points lower (-0.

The coronavirus lockdown has accelerated a digitalisation drive in a global shipping and logistics sector that still routinely delivers many documents by bike messenger in some countries, according to industry leaders. Ports operator DP World said on Thursday it would join shipping company Maersk and other peers in a blockchain platform aimed at limiting the sector's costly paper trail. "The situation around the coronavirus is a very good catalyst for making sure everyone in the supply chain can communicate with each other digitally," Mike Bhaskaran, DP World's chief operating officer for logistics and technology, told Reuters.

The computing software, hardware, and services company had hinted at possible head-count reductions in its March-quarter earnings call.

One strategist says the economy is better prepared for a new wave of infections — and value stocks are near a point where they will lead the market.

(Bloomberg) -- International Business Machines Corp. cut an unspecified number of jobs across the U.S., eliminating employees in at least five states. The company declined to comment on the total number, but the workforce reductions appear far-reaching.“IBM’s work in a highly competitive marketplace requires flexibility to constantly add high-value skills to our workforce. While we always consider the current environment, IBM’s workforce decisions are in the interest of the long-term health of our business,” company spokesman Ed Barbini said Thursday in a statement. “Recognizing the unique and difficult situation this business decision may create for some of our employees, IBM is offering subsidized medical coverage to all affected U.S. employees through June 2021.”Based on a review of IBM internal communications on the Slack corporate messaging service, the number of affected employees is likely to be in the thousands, said a North Carolina-based worker who lost his job along with his entire team of 12. “This was far ranging -- and historical employment ratings, age and seniority did not seem to matter,” he said. The person asked not to be identified on concern that speaking publicly may impact his severance package.The cuts also affected employees in Pennsylvania, California, Missouri and New York, where IBM is based, according to people familiar with the matter.Another worker who lost his job said the reductions mostly focus on IBM’s North American workforce. Half of his 70-person department were cut on Thursday and told their last day with the company will be June 22. The person asked not to be identified discussing a sensitive topic. The tech industry has suffered widespread job losses after the coronavirus pandemic triggered a severe recession. Airbnb Inc. and Uber Technologies Inc. have cut about a quarter of their workforces. Earlier on Thursday, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. said it will eliminate some employees to save money, while Dell Technologies Inc. suspended several staff benefits. It’s unclear how many of IBM’s cuts are caused by the pandemic. The company has suffered years of falling revenue. In an earnings call in January, IBM discussed reducing costs through “aggressive structural actions” to improve the competitiveness of its Global Technology Services consulting unit, which represents about a third of revenue.In online forums Thursday, dozens of newly unemployed IBM workers, some who said they had been with the company for more than 20 years, lamented the situation and expressed fear over finding a new job in a recession. “With the Covid situation, it will be hard to find new opportunities,” one wrote.(Updates with HPE cuts in seventh paragraph.)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM) is gearing up to lay off workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the first such action by CEO Arvind Krishna, who took on the role in April.  IBM hasn't said how many employees it's letting go, but a source told The Wall Street Journal the move could eliminate several thousand jobs.

Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) stock has enjoyed a strong recovery in recent weeks. The Software-as-a-Service giant saw its shares tumble from $195 to $115 during the March crash, but has rallied back above $170 now. Investors have shrugged off a slowdown in revenues at many internet companies -- in particular ones exposed to advertising -- by instead focusing on how the stay-at-home orders will speed the transition toward a digital-first economy.Source: Bjorn Bakstad / Shutterstock.com Specifically, Salesforce is likely to see a short-term slowdown in billings thanks to the virus. But the crisis may force a lot of previously offline companies to start using digital software to manage their sales channels; Salesforce could end up gaining from this in the long-term. Earnings On DeckIn any case, traders are wondering what will happen next, as Salesforce is set to report earnings next week. As of last quarter, it appeared Salesforce was experiencing accelerating growth. We can say that because while Salesforce grew revenues 29% for the full year, it saw revenues spike 35% higher last quarter. It was on an upward trajectory until the virus hit.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsNow, however, several analysts have cut estimates for Salesforce, and other related companies such as Workday (NASDAQ:WDAY) on the expectation of a significant slowdown in revenue growth. Earnings reports from firms such as IBM (NYSE:IBM) have shown weakness in areas that could filter through to Salesforce as well. All in all, traders probably shouldn't expect a fantastic quarter, nor great guidance for the rest of the year either. But the market seems willing to discount 2020 and look to the future. Salesforce Is Still Finding New CustomersThere has been some concern about Salesforce's outlook in the near future. Surely with the economy in a slowdown, people will need less sales software, right? However, the good news is that Salesforce's core functionality can be used for other tracking and monitoring applications outside of the sales function. * 7 Dow Jones Stocks to Buy With Fortress-Like Balance Sheets For example, Salesforce has its Salesforce Cares program, specifically tailored to helping companies manage health and human resources during the Covid-19 crisis. As of April 30, more than 7,000 firms had signed up for Salesforce Cares. Clients include tele-health firms, medical clinics, apartment property managers and insurance benefits providers among others. This shows the wide range of applications that Salesforce can support beyond its traditional core capabilities. Salesforce's Valuation: Fairly PricedIf you look at Salesforce on a pure earnings basis, the stock usually tends to look expensive. Next year, for example, consensus estimates have Salesforce earning just shy of $4 per share. That would put the stock at more than 40x forward earnings. However, keep in mind that Salesforce tends to plow its earnings back into the business via marketing spend. In doing so, it gives up accounting profits now in return for far larger revenues and cash flows in the future.Thus, the most reliable way to judge Salesforce's stock is by its price-to-sales ratio. Coming out of the financial crisis, CRM stock sold for just 4x sales -- a veritable bargain. It shot up to 11x revenues in 2011-12, and became somewhat overpriced for a time.Since 2013, however, the stock has settled into a remarkably consistent range, with Salesforce almost always being worth between 7x and 9x sales. Any dips to 7x or below have been strong buying opportunities. Meanwhile, when it has gotten up above 9x -- such as late last year -- it was a good time to take some profits. The stock is now selling at 8.5x sales, which puts it within the normal range; a correction that knocked the stock down 10% from here would move it toward a compelling buying point. But the current price isn't half bad, either. The Verdict on CRM StockIn one sense, Salesforce's short-term trading fate will ride with the broader cloud and SaaS stocks. Salesforce is one of the big players in the sector, and its stock is approaching key resistance levels. Whether or not it surges to new heights next week will have as much to do with tech stock sentiment as anything else.That said, Salesforce could surprise some investors with this next earnings report. Sure, there's probably going to be a slowdown in growth from their existing customers. And margins may suffer in the short-run. Salesforce is run with long-term objectives in mind; CEO Marc Benioff promised not to lay off any significant number of workers during the acute phase of this crisis, for example, which is great for long-term loyalty but could have an effect on margins in the short-term.However, if you own Salesforce as a long-term investment, part of what you've signed up for is maximizing future value rather than shooting for immediate profits. So don't worry about this one earnings report too much. That said, it could come in with more positive news than you expect. That's especially true when you consider all that's going on with Salesforce's efforts in fostering more client relationships in telemedicine and other adjacent lines of business. Salesforce is one of the core blue chip companies within the cloud software universe. As such, CRM stock represents a decent value heading into earnings.Ian Bezek has written more than 1,000 articles for InvestorPlace.com and Seeking Alpha. He also worked as a Junior Analyst for Kerrisdale Capital, a $300 million New York City-based hedge fund. You can reach him on Twitter at @irbezek. At the time of this writing, he held no positions in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * Top Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * America's Richest ZIP Code Holds Shocking Secret * 1 Under-the-Radar 5G Stock to Buy Now * The 1 Stock All Retirees Must Own The post Salesforce Stock Is a Promising Buy Ahead of Earnings appeared first on InvestorPlace.

IBM Corp. (IBM) is said to reduce the number of employees across the U.S., streamlining its workforce in at least five states.The company declined to comment on the total number, but the workforce reductions appear far-reaching, according to a Bloomberg report.“IBM’s work in a highly competitive marketplace requires flexibility to constantly add high-value skills to our workforce. While we always consider the current environment, IBM’s workforce decisions are in the interest of the long-term health of our business,” company spokesman Ed Barbini said in a statement. “Recognizing the unique and difficult situation this business decision may create for some of our employees, IBM is offering subsidized medical coverage to all affected U.S. employees through June 2021.”Based on a review of IBM internal communications on the Slack corporate messaging service, the number of affected workers is likely to be in the thousands, said a North Carolina-based worker who lost his job along with his entire team of 12.“This was far ranging -- and historical employment ratings, age and seniority did not seem to matter,” he said. The person asked not to be identified on concern that speaking publicly may impact his severance package, according to the Bloomberg report.IBM employees in Pennsylvania, California, Missouri and New York, are also said to be affected by the round of job cuts, according to the Bloomberg report.Another worker who lost his job said the reductions mostly focus on IBM’s North American workforce. Half of his 70-person department were cut and told their last day with the company will be June 22.IBM is joining a list of tech companies, who are implementing cost-cutting measures, such as widespread job cuts after the coronavirus pandemic induced a slower economic growth environment. Uber Technologies Inc. (UBER) has cut about a quarter of its workforce, while Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. (HPE) last week said it will cut some employees to preserve cash.In an earnings call in January, IBM discussed reducing costs through “aggressive structural actions” to improve the competitiveness of its Global Technology Services consulting unit, which represents about a third of revenue.Shares in IBM, which have advanced 25% in the past two months, are still down 13% year-to-date.Turning now to Wall Street, analysts are cautiously optimistic about the stock’s outlook. The Moderate Buy consensus is divided into 4 Buy ratings and 8 Hold ratings. The $132.36 average price target suggests shares have 12% upside potential in the coming 12 months. (See IBM stock analysis on TipRanks).Related News: Nvidia Sinks Despite Stellar Earnings; Top Analyst Says Buy On Any Weakness Micron Has More Than Enough Tailwinds to Offset Huawei Sanctions, Says Top Analyst Baidu May Use Nasdaq Delisting To Boost Value – Report More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: * HBO Max Launches, But Not Yet Available on Amazon, Roku Platforms * Apple Snaps Up AI Startup Inductiv, As Analysts Boost PTs On Store Reopenings * Microsoft Seeks $2B Stake In India’s Jio Platforms- Report * Boeing Cuts 6,770 Jobs In U.S.; CFRA Upgrades Stock To Buy

IBM is laying off employees amid the pandemic, and Apple wants to use podcasts to promote its Apple TV+ streaming service.

Two iconic brands go head-to-head. Learn which is positioned for success after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Facebook takes more steps to support and expand a remote workforce, IBM announces layoffs and TechCrunch's big annual conference is going virtual. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg estimated that over the course of the next decade, half of the company could be working fully remotely. As the next step toward that goal, Facebook will be setting up new company hubs in Denver, Dallas and Atlanta.

IBM is reportedly cutting thousands for the first time under its new CEO Arvind Krishna. Yahoo Finance's Ines Ferre shares the details on The First Trade.

IBM is cutting jobs across its various businesses, becoming one of the first non-retail companies to slash its workforce amid covid-19.

It takes guts to be a value investor these days. According to a recent analysis from Research Affiliates, value has lagged growth now for more than 13 years — the longest stretch in recorded U.S. market history. This has led to a seemingly-endless series of pronouncements in recent years that value investing is dead.

International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE: IBM) is retrenching an undisclosed number of employees under its new Chief Executive Arvind Krishna.Why It Matters The job cuts come amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has led to a major economic downturn.The new CEO is trying to return IBM to growth, and the restructuring effort is a step in that direction, according to the Wall Street Journal.The job cuts will affect several units at IBM, including the Global Technology Services (GTS) division, which is engaged in IT outsourcing. Last month IBM took a $900 million charge against earnings to pay for the restructuring costs linked to the division.IBM's Watson Artificial Intelligence unit, which is not performing well, may also see job losses. The unit was a priority of Krishna's predecessor Ginni Rometty. Why It Matters IBM's revenues have been declining for several years. After Krishna took over, he withdrew guidance for 2020 and called the action "a tough decision," reported the WSJ.Cuts to the workforce appear to be broad-based and spanning divisions, IBM has offered subsidized medical coverage to all laid-off employees in the United States through June 2021.Krishna said last month that IBM was ready to make acquisitions to grow in the cloud computing and artificial intelligence segments. He also indicated his willingness to divest parts of the company not aligned with the company's new focus.IBM's adjusted EPS fell 18% to $1.84. Revenue declined 3.4% over the first three months of the year to $17.6 billion.Price Action IBM shares traded 0.20% higher at $119.36 in the after-hours session on Thursday. The shares had closed the regular session 1.86% lower at $119.12.See more from Benzinga * China's Failure To Set Growth Target For 2020, Rising Geopolitical Tensions Lead To Drop In Oil Prices * Amazon Reschedules Prime Day to September As It Tries To Restore Pre-Pandemic Operations * Tesla Employees Fear Conditions At Factory, Describe It As 'Modern-Day Sweatshop'(C) 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

IBM (IBM) closed the most recent trading day at $119.12, moving -1.86% from the previous trading session.

IBM confirmed reports from overnight that it is conducting layoffs, but wouldn't provide details related to location, departments or number of employees involved. The company framed it in terms of replacing people with more needed skills as it tries to regroup under new CEO Arvind Krishna. Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, says he's hearing the layoffs are hitting across the business.