The DJIA has overcome an early deficit, and is aiming for its eighth consecutive win
After slipping nearly 100 points out of the gate, the
Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is attempting gains at midday, as the blue-chip index looks to
extend its winning streak to eight in a row. While disappointing
data out of China and a relatively hawkish outlook from St. Louis Fed President James Bullard initially weighed on stocks, a
big rebound in crude has helped buoy sentiment. Meanwhile, Dow component Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is fighting for gains after
unveiling weak quarterly revenue, and
two more index peers gear up for their after-the-close turns in the earnings spotlight.
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Among the stocks with notable option volume is
Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR). Both calls and puts are crossing at roughly three times the average pace, as traders respond to
details surrounding the social media firm's layoffs and an upbeat third-quarter sales forecast. The shares are 5.6% higher at $30.36 -- a
marked reversal from Monday's decline.
One of the top gainers on the Big Board is
Molson Coors Brewing Company (NYSE:TAP), thanks to some
big M&A news within the sector. The shares have surged 10% to $87.07, and earlier reached a record peak of $89. With the gains, the brewing name is 16.8% higher on the year.
Among the biggest losers on the Big Board is software stock
VMware, Inc. (NYSE:VMW). The shares are
extending Monday's sell-off, dropping another 4.4% to trade at $69.11, thanks to a round of bearish brokerage notes -- including a downgrade to "market perform" from "outperform" from JMP Securities. Earlier, VMW hit a two-year low of $68.28.
The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) is up 0.3 point, or 2%, though it continues to trade below its 10-day moving average.
Today's put/call volume ratio on the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is 2.34, with puts more than doubling calls. At last check, the SPY was up 0.4 point, or 0.2%, at $201.88.