TheStreet TV

It's hard to predict how the upcoming earnings season will go, which kicks off this week. A record number of companies are giving guidance. Still there are high hopes for results, which begin in the coming days from JP Morgan Chase , Wells Fargo and Citigroup . This week will be a holiday shortened one as the markets are closed Friday for the Good Friday holiday. U.S. trucking giants Swift and Knight are merging. According to CNBC, this will combine two of the largest trucking companies in the United States in a deal that could be worth $5 billion. Swift and Knight are both based in Phoenix and are among the top carriers in the highly fragmented market for truckload services. Google is investing $800 million into LG Electronics to help them make the new OLED screens for smartphones. Electronic Times says the search giant wants to make the investment to secure a stable supply of the displays for the Pixel smartphones.

Stocks were under assault on multiple fronts in a busy end to the week. Geopolitical threats rose overnight after the U.S. military executed an airstrike against Syria in retaliation to a chemical attack earlier this week. Closer to home, the March jobs number was a big miss as late-season snow snarled weather-sensitive industries. Defense stocks saw some of this biggest gains of the day. Boeing , Lockheed Martin and Raytheon , the maker of the Tomahawk missiles used in the attack on Syria, each moved higher. Twitter was under pressure after defying a U.S. government request for records that could identify anti-Trump users. The social network is challenging that order in court, arguing that attempts to unmask users violates the First Amendment. PriceSmart fell after quarterly earnings and sales missed estimates. Overall revenue climbed 2%, while net warehouse club sales grew 1.8%.

The economy added 98,000 jobs in March, missing estimates of 175,000, according to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday. TheStreet's Scott Gamm speaks with Nick Colas, chief market analyst at Convergex.

Nick Colas, chief market strategist at Convergex has some advice to investors nervous about the U.S. airstrikes in Syria.

Dow futures dropped more than 100 points immediately after news of the U.S. military strikes on Syria but had recovered much of those losses in the morning. Some of the biggest moves are in commodities. Oil prices shot higher. Syria is not a major oil exporter but is close with Russia and Iran, who are. Gold is also sharply higher as investors seek a safe haven. The military strikes took place as President Donald Trump is meeting with China's President Xi Jin Ping. They will meet again today where trade and North Korea are expected to be topics of discussion. It's also monthly jobs report day. The Labor Department is expected to show a gain of more than 200,000 jobs in March and for the jobless rate to hold steady at 4.7%. Goldman Sachs, however, says weather could have prevented 60,000 jobs being added last month.

Wall Street came off of the day's highs late in the session on worries over how President Trump will handle the Syrian civil war and relations with China. The Trump administration has changed its tune, signaling possible military action against the Assad regime. Bed, Bath & Beyond rose after topping analysts' estimates in its recent quarter. The homewares retailer reported a 3% increase in sales, while comparable-store sales edged 0.4% higher. SeaWorld was initiated with a SELL rating and $16 price target at Goldman Sachs. Analysts are skeptical that cost-cutting measures will translate to growth. L Brands surged even after reporting a steep decline in March sales. Comparable sales for the five weeks to April 1 dropped 10%.

Google's YouTube TV costs $35 per month, and is now available in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Philadelphia. READ MORE: Will Google's YouTube TV Be the Ultimate Cable TV Bundle Killer?

Crude oil gains helped the energy sector lead markets with modest gains. However, trading appeared cautious ahead of a possibly contentious meeting between Donald Trump and China's President Xi over the next two days. Yum! China surged on first-quarter earnings and sales that were better than anticipated. The owner of KFC and Pizza Hut in the region reported a 1% increase in same-store sales over the three-month period. Costco rose after reporting strong sales figures for March. The warehouse retailer saw a 9% increase in March revenue in the U.S., while same-store sales increased 7%. Advanced Micro Devices slumped after Goldman Sachs initiated coverage with a SELL rating and $11 price target. The firm said current valuations make its stock price difficult to justify.

JAB Holdings is buying Panera Bread Company for $7.5 billion dollars. JAB is the parent company of Caribou coffee and Peet's Coffee and Tea. JAB is paying $315 a share for the restaurant chain, which is a 20% premium to Tuesday's closing price. The United States Senate is plunging toward a historic rule change regarding the vote for Neal Gorsuch for Supreme Court. Senators debated for hours, sometimes bitterly, in support and opposition to Gorsuch. Senate Democrats are expected to filibuster the nomination and Senate Republicans are expected to invoke what's called a 'nuclear option' to get Gorsuch's appointment to the Supreme Court approved. Overnight, North Korea fired a ballistic missile, according to officials. The move takes place on the eve of China's President Xi meeting with U.S. President Trump.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average outpaced broader markets on Tuesday in an unsettled day of trading. Losses in the consumer space extended into day two. The sector had sold off on Monday after disappointing monthly auto sales from Ford and General Motors . Richmond Federal Reserve President Jeffrey Lacker tendered his resignation Tuesday after improperly sharing information with an analyst back in 2012. Lacker broke confidentiality rules when he offered information to Medley Global Advisors regarding the Fed's September meeting in 2012. Amazon ended at another record after a bullish note from BMO Capital Markets. Analyst Daniel Salmon raised his price target to $1,200 and backed his outperform rating, noting that Amazon could benefit from the "significant emerging opportunity" in advertising. Salmon expects Amazon ad revenue to rise 65% to $3.5 billion this year. U.S. handbag maker Kate Spade slumped 15% on reports it will spend a few more weeks negotiating a potential sale of the company after receiving an offer last week from Coach .

All benchmark indexes ended the week and first quarter with gains, though the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 closed out March with monthly losses. The Nasdaq came close to another record to end the week, though fell into the red in the final minutes. Crude oil closed with slight gains, settling at its highest level in more than three weeks. A reading on drilling activity in the U.S. showed the number of active rigs rise for another week. Amazon was initiated with a BUY rating and $1,100 price target at Loop Capital. Analysts said the company has a runway for continued solid growth and can ultimately spin off its web services business. Amazon closed at records for a third day in a row. Alcoa was upgraded to OUTPERFORM from MARKET PERFORM at BMO Capital. Analysts said the stock price has not factored in higher commodity prices.

Technology stocks have been especially strong in the first quarter of 2017, with the NASDAQ logging 21 record highs this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is close to notching its 6th straight winning quarter, which is the best run since 2006. The final gain for the quarter for the blue chips is expected to be around 5%. Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn says he will testify about the Russian role in the elections but is asking for immunity before doing so. Flynn resigned after it was revealed in a leak that he had inappropriate conversations with Russian officials. The Wall Street Journal says the FBI, House and Senate intelligence committees have yet to respond to Flynn's request. President Trump is expected to sign 2 Executive Orders dealing with trade today. CNN reports the orders will initiate a large scale review of the causes of the U.S's trade deficits with some of its largest trading partners.

Stocks held onto modest gains through the morning as the financial sector set up a rebound. Big banks such as JPMorgan and Citigroup were among the sector's best performers. VF Corp. detailed its plans for the next five years, including returning $8 billion to shareholders. The owner of Timberland anticipates a five-year compounded annual growth rate of 4% to 6% through to 2021. Goodyear Tire was downgraded to NEUTRAL from BUY at Goldman Sachs. Analysts said the valuation was less attractive as the company faces pricing uncertainty. Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman has apologized for his investment in Valeant Pharmaceuticals , calling it a "huge mistake" that cost Pershing Square a "tremendous amount." Ackman sold his stake earlier this month.

A rally in crude oil gave rise to the energy sector in a mixed day of trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended lower for its ninth session in ten, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq logged gains. Amazon climbed on the news it would add 1,000 full-time jobs at a new fulfillment center in Virginia. The e-commerce company already employs 3,500 full-time positions at three sites in the state. Alphabet was higher after being initiated with an OVERWEIGHT rating at Barclays. Analysts believe the company can generate 20% annual sales and earnings growth over the next few years. Vertex Pharmaceuticals rallied after releasing positive trial results for its cystic fibrosis treatment. Two clinical studies showed successful efficacy and safety data that also improves the performance of Vertex's existing drugs.

Stocks were mixed in cautious trading after the U.K. invoked the first step in its removal from the EU, a relationship that has lasted more than four decades. Financials weighed on the Dow, while tech boosted the Nasdaq. Pending home sales rose far faster than analysts anticipated, climbing to its highest level in almost a year. Pending home sales measures deals in which an agreement has been made but a contract not yet signed. Crude oil prices rose after the Energy Information Administration reported an increase of 900,000 barrels of oil to domestic inventories over the past week. Analysts had expected a higher increase after the American Petroleum Institute showed a nearly two-million-barrel rise. Morgan Stanley was upgraded to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank. The firm is optimistic about capital markets and an improvement in trading.