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Twitter Inc (TWTR), GoPro Inc (GPRO), and Pandora Media Inc (P) are all poised for a volatile post-earnings session
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:DJI) are little changed, as traders await direction from this morning's nonfarm payrolls report. Economists are expecting the U.S. to have added 230,000 jobs last month, the unemployment rate to remain unchanged, and wage growth to edge 0.3% higher. However, thanks to several big moves this week, the blue-chip barometer is on pace to notch a solid week-over-week gain.
Also in focus today will be an early afternoon speech from Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart -- a voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee -- as well as earnings reports from Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR), GoPro Inc (NASDAQ:GPRO), and Pandora Media Inc (NYSE:P). The former is solidly higher in electronic trading following its results, while the latter two are bracing for steep post-earnings plunges.
And now, on to the numbers...
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) are about 2 points below fair value.
Market Statistics
The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 1.02 million call contracts traded on Thursday, compared to 679,280 put contracts. The resultant single-session equity put/call ratio jumped to 0.66, while the 21-day moving average moved up to 0.67.
Currencies and Commodities
- The U.S. dollar index is little changed at 93.60.
- Crude oil is poised to extend its lead over the half-century mark, last seen up 3.1% at $52.03 per barrel.
- Elsewhere, gold is 0.1% higher at $1,264.50 per ounce.
Earnings and Economic Data
The highly anticipated nonfarm payrolls report comes out today. Alcatel-Lucent (ALU), CBOE Holdings (CBOE), Madison Square Garden (MSG), and Moody's (MCO) will release earnings.
Overseas Trading
It was a mixed finish in Asia, as caution set in regarding today's nonfarm payrolls report, as well as the future of Greece's bailout program. In Japan, the Nikkei rallied 0.8% amid a raft of well-received earnings reports, while South Korea's Kospi tacked on 0.1%. China's Shanghai Composite, meanwhile, plunged 1.9%, as next week's round of initial public offerings stoked anxiety over market liquidity. Elsewhere, Hong Kong's Hang Seng gave back 0.4%.
European benchmarks are lower at midday, as tension builds between Germany and Greece over a debt deal for the latter. At last check, the German DAX is off 0.6%, the French CAC 40 is down 0.3%, and London's FTSE 100 is flirting with a 0.2% loss.
Unusual Put and Call Activity:
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