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Retail sales and consumer sentiment are on the day's economic docket
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:DJI) is little changed this morning, after the blue-chip barometer settled at its highest perch on record yesterday. Consumers will be in focus today, with retail sales and consumer sentiment data due out this morning -- and retailer J C Penney Company Inc (NYSE:JCP) poised to bounce back from Thursday's drubbing. Elsewhere on the economic front, updates on import and export prices, as well as business inventories, are slated for release. An early morning speech from St. Louis Fed President James Bullard could also garner some attention following yesterday's dovish statements from fellow Fed President William Dudley.
And now, on to the numbers...
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average 2 Minute (INDEXDJX:.DJI) are about 6 points below fair value.
Market Statistics
The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 1.33 million call contracts traded on Thursday, compared to 752,423 put contracts. The resultant single-session equity put/call ratio dropped to 0.57, while the 21-day moving average edged lower to 0.63.
Currencies and Commodities
- The U.S. dollar index is up 0.3% at 87.94.
- Crude oil is on the mend, and was last seen 0.3% higher at $74.39 per barrel.
- Gold, meanwhile, is down 0.8% at $1,152.50 per ounce.
Earnings and Economic Data
Retail sales figures, import and export prices, the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment report, and business inventories make up today's docket. There are no notable earnings reports on the calendar.
Overseas Trading
It was a mixed finish in Asia today, with Japan once again outpacing its peers. Specifically, the Nikkei tacked on 0.6% to settle near a seven-year peak on the back of a cooling yen -- and ahead of next Monday's data on third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP). Meanwhile, traders in China and Hong Kong took a cautious stance before next week's launch of the cross-border trading program, with the Shanghai Composite closing at a modest 0.3% loss, and the Hang Seng tacking on 0.3%. Elsewhere, South Korea's Kospi slumped 0.8% following Thursday's round of disappointing economic data out of China.
Across the pond, markets are lower at midday, as traders react to a sell-off in energy stocks and a batch of regional GDP data. In Germany, third-quarter growth arrived in line with estimates, while France's economy -- and the euro zone as a whole -- grew at a faster-than-expected rate. At last check, the German DAX and London's FTSE 100 are each flirting with 0.3% declines, while the French CAC 40 is down 0.1%.
Unusual Put and Call Activity:
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