The Dow is looking to snap its four-day losing streak
Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) futures are trading above fair value this morning, as investors consider a massive global cyberattack and a big rise in oil prices. More than 200,000 individuals and businesses are estimated to have fallen victim to a ransomware attack -- dubbed "WannaCry" -- since Friday, and cybersecurity stocks are set to jump as a result. Meanwhile, June-dated crude futures are up 3.4% at $49.47 per barrel, after major oil producers Saudia Arabia and Russia endorsed extended supply cuts. North Korea could be in focus, too, after the country announced a successful missile test earlier today. Still, stocks are eyeing a positive start, with the
Dow looking to snap its four-day losing streak.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
- The SNAP options strategy that's still popular post-earnings.
- 3 biotech stocks making volatile moves.
- The analyst note that pushed Apple to new highs.
- Plus, cyber stocks rally; a drowning drug stock; and Starbucks stock gets a lift.
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) are 39.4 points above fair value.
5 Things You Need to Know Today
- The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 998,126 call contracts traded on Friday, compared to 566,590 put contracts. The resultant single-session equity put/call ratio dropped to 0.57, while the 21-day moving average edged down to 0.66.
- A number of cybersecurity stocks are on the rise in pre-market trading, due to the massive international cybersecurity attack. Some names getting a boost this morning are FireEye, Palo Alto Networks, and Barracuda Networks. Of course, this also means the sector's exchange-traded fund (ETF) -- PureFunds ISE Cyber Security ETF (HACK) -- is in store for a strong showing.
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:IONS) is down 8.5% ahead of the open, following the results of its drug trial for inotersen, a treatment for familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP). While the drug reached its primary endpoints, a handful of patients displayed adverse side effects. IONS stock closed Friday at $47.08, up 54% year-over-year.
- Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) is on the rise ahead of the open, thanks to an upgrade to "buy" from "hold" at Deutsche Bank, which also lifted its price target to $69 from $59 -- representing all-time-high territory. SBUX stock sports a year-to-date gain of 7.9%, and this pre-market move would have it back atop the round $60.
- The economic calendar kicks off with the Empire State manufacturing survey. The NAHB housing market index and Treasury International Capital (TIC) data will also be released. Digital Ally (DGLY) and Trivago (TRVG) will report earnings.
Overseas Trading
Stocks in Asia finished mostly higher today, despite North Korea launching a new missile into the sea. Japan's Nikkei was the outlier, giving up about 0.1%, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe saying the North Korean threat "is now entering into a new stage." Meanwhile, Hong Kong's Hang Seng surged 0.9% to a new annual high, and the Shanghai Composite edged 0.2% higher, as traders eyed rebounding oil prices and the latest industrial production data out of China. South Korea's Kospi reversed early losses to end with a 0.2% gain.
European benchmarks are mixed at midday. Cybersecurity stocks are in the black, after a massive global ransomware attack, though the North Korea threat is weighing on sentiment. While London's FTSE 100 was last seen 0.1% higher, Germany's DAX is down 0.1%, after a regional election victory for German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party. France's CAC 40 is also down 0.1%, with President Emmanuel Macron taking office today.