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A cooling yen helped send Japan's Nikkei to a fresh 15-year high
After snapping its recent losing streak Thursday on the back of some well-received news from overseas, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:DJI) is treading lightly this morning. Traders are taking a wait-and-see approach to the Labor Department's nonfarm payrolls report -- due out at 8:30 a.m. ET. Also on today's docket is an update on international trade data. Meanwhile, financial firms could garner their fair share of attention, after the Federal Reserve released the first round of results from its annual stress tests last night.
And now, on to the numbers...
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) are roughly 2 points below fair value.
Market Statistics
The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 916,597 call contracts traded on Thursday, compared to 588,088 put contracts. The resultant single-session equity put/call ratio rose to 0.64, while the 21-day moving average edged up to 0.62.
Currencies and Commodities
- The U.S. dollar index is 0.4% higher at 96.76.
- Crude oil is on pace to pare a portion of yesterday's losses, up 0.6% at $51.07 per barrel.
- Gold, meanwhile, is down 0.1% at $1,195.30 per ounce.
Earnings and Economic Data
The week closes out with the highly anticipated nonfarm payrolls report, as well as international trade data. Foot Locker (FL) and Staples (SPLS) will take their turn on the earnings stage. To see what's on next week's agenda, click here.
Overseas Trading
Asian benchmarks finished on both sides of breakeven, ahead of today's highly anticipated U.S. jobs report. In Japan, the Nikkei jumped 1.2% -- after hitting a new 15-year peak -- as a cooling yen buoyed exporters. South Korea's Kospi, meanwhile, tacked on 0.7% to settle at its highest perch in five months, thanks to a rally in tech and auto names. Elsewhere, China's Shanghai Composite gave back 0.2% amid continued concerns over the country's lackluster growth forecast, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 0.1%.
European benchmarks are mixed at midday, as traders await an update on employment out of the U.S. At last check, the French CAC 40 and the German DAX are both flirting with 0.2% gains, while London's FTSE 100 is off 0.2%.
Unusual Put and Call Activity:
For an explanation of how to use this information, check out our Education Center topics on Option Volume and Open Interest Configurations.