Dow is Setting Its Sights On Another Record High

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:DJI) is taking aim at another record peak, with futures pointed modestly higher. Although bond markets are closed due to the Veterans Day holiday, there will be plenty to attract the attention of investors. Chinese e-commerce concerns Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA) and JD.Com Inc (ADR) (NASDAQ:JD), for example, are hosting the annual "Singles Day" shopping event, with the former pulling in roughly $2 billion in sales in one hour. Meanwhile, earnings from D.R. Horton, Inc. (NYSE:DHI) could garner some attention, with the stock headed lower following a third-quarter profit miss.

• In the wake of yet another decade-plus peak for Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO), option traders set short-term floors.
• Short-term speculators gambled on more upside for 3D Systems Corporation (NYSE:DDD), while longer-term bulls targeted its underperforming sector peer.
• Pre-earnings optimism is building on this trio of notable names, slated to unveil their quarterly reports this week.

Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average 2 Minute (INDEXDJX:.DJI) are more than 20 points above fair value.

Market Statistics

The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 940,321 call contracts traded on Monday, compared to 629,553 put contracts. The resultant single-session equity put/call ratio rose to 0.67, while the 21-day moving average dropped to 0.66.

Currencies and Commodities

• The U.S. dollar index is up 0.1% at 87.88.
• Crude oil is on pace to extend yesterday's losses, down 0.2% at $77.27 per barrel.
• Gold, meanwhile, is 0.5% lower at $1,154.30 per ounce.

Earnings and Economic Data

The U.S. bond market is closed for Veterans Day today. DHI and Fossil (FOSL) will report earnings.

Overseas Trading

Asian markets settled mostly higher today. Japan's Nikkei led the charge with a 2.1% pop -- and closed north of 17,000 for the first time in seven years -- after the country's current account surplus rose for a third straight month. Additionally, a nearly 40-billion-yen purchase of exchange traded-funds by the Bank of Japan helped boost sentiment. Elsewhere, Hong Kong's Hang Seng tacked on 0.3%, while South Korea's Kospi added 0.2% on reports of a free-trade agreement with China. China's Shanghai Composite was the regional laggard, losing 0.1% amid a round of profit-taking.

Markets in Europe are enjoying modest gains at midday, as a round of well-received earnings reports overshadows lackluster retail sales data from the U.K. At last check, the French CAC was up 0.7%, the German DAX was flirting with a 0.4% lead, and London's FTSE 100 was 0.2% higher.

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