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Struggles across the pond and beyond are weighing on stocks
U.S. stock markets are poised to start in the red this morning, after yesterday's M&A-heavy session had the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) flirting with 18,000 once again. Benchmarks are being hit by weakness overseas, and oil's ongoing slump. With not much in the way of economic data or earnings reports, investor focus will be heavily directed toward the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). At last check, futures on the Dow, S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq Composite (COMP) were all trading sharply below fair value.
And now, on to the numbers...
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) are more than 158 points below fair value.
Market Statistics
The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 884,937 call contracts traded on Monday, compared to 575,347 put contracts. The resultant single-session equity put/call ratio fell to 0.65, while the 21-day moving average remained at 0.62.
Currencies and Commodities
- The U.S. dollar index is up 0.7% at 98.30.
- Crude oil remains right below $50, down 0.8% at $49.60 per barrel.
- Gold is off nearly 0.2% at $1,164.60 per ounce.
Earnings and Economic Data
The JOLTS report will headline Tuesday's economic calendar. For earnings, Barnes & Noble (BKS), FuelCell Energy (FCEL), and VeriFone (PAY) will report. To see what else is coming up on this week's agenda, click here.
Overseas Trading
Indexes in Asia were lower across the board, as traders digested China's latest inflation data. Japan's Nikkei fell 0.7% on a weaker yen, South Korea's Kospi dropped 0.4%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng skidded 0.9%. In China, the Shanghai Composite was off 0.5%, with major banking names dragging down the index.
European bourses are on course to follow their Asian counterparts into the red, with continuing discussions over Greece's bailout and lower oil prices dampening the mood of investors. At last check, London's FTSE 100 was off 1.2%, while the French CAC 40 and German DAX were 0.9% and 1% lower, respectively.
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.