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Crude oil is notably higher on reports of a fresh round of fighting in Eastern Ukraine
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:DJI) are little changed this morning, after the blue-chip barometer settled last week at its highest close on record. Retailers will be in focus this week, with earnings from heavyweight Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) due out Thursday morning, and retail sales for October slated for release on Friday. Today, however, both the earnings and economic calendars are relatively bare. Elsewhere on the Street, crude oil is ready to rally following last week's steep plunge, as geopolitical tensions between Ukraine and Russia come back to the forefront.
And now, on to the numbers...
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) are more than five points above fair value.
Market Statistics
The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 1.17 million call contracts traded on Friday, compared to 661,445 put contracts. The resultant single-session equity put/call ratio plunged to 0.57, while the 21-day moving average edged down to 0.67.
Currencies and Commodities
- The U.S. dollar index is down 0.4% at 87.30.
- Crude oil is up 1.3% at last check to trade at $79.67 per barrel.
- Gold, meanwhile, is 0.2% lower at $1,167.10 per ounce.
Earnings and Economic Data
There are no notable economic reports today. 3D Systems (DDD), Caesars Entertainment (CZR), Dean Foods (DF), Gogo (GOGO), Quicksilver Resources (KWK), Rackspace Hosting (RAX), and Sotheby's (BID) will present earnings.
Overseas Trading
Asian equities finished mostly higher today, as traders digested a round of economic data out of China, including an in-line rise in consumer price inflation, a larger-than-forecast fall in producer prices, and a decline in import and export growth. Meanwhile, a confirmed Nov. 17 launch date for the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect cross-border trading program helped buoy investor sentiment. By the close, China's Shanghai Composite was up 2.3%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng had rallied 0.8%, and South Korea's Kospi had tacked on 1%. Japan's Nikkei sat out the day's uptrend, giving back 0.6% amid a strengthening yen.
Markets in Europe are in the green at midday, thanks to well-received earnings reports from Carlsberg A/S and Lonmin Plc. At last check, London's FTSE 100 was flirting with a 0.4% lead, while the French CAC 40 and the German DAX were both 0.2% higher.
Unusual Put and Call Activity:
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