Dow Jones Industrial Average Braces For a Triple-Digit Dive

Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) futures are signaling a sharp drop at the open, amid energy's ongoing sell-off -- with January crude futures tagging yet another fresh six-year low after a demand warning from the International Energy Agency (IEA). Traders are also digesting a solid report on retail sales and an unexpected uptick in producer prices. Meanwhile, as expected, DuPont (NYSE:DD) and Dow Chemical Co (NYSE:DOW) have agreed to merge in an all-stock deal valued at $130 billion.

 Continue reading for more on today's market, including:

• Why short-term bulls targeted Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR).
• 2 stocks that tumbled in sympathy with First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR).
• How these 2 sector rivals stunned short sellers.

And now, on to the numbers…

Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) are nearly 173 points below fair value.

5 Things You Need to Know Today

 

1. Most Asian markets slid amid the mysterious disappearance of a Chinese billionaire, while crude's slump is weighing on European bourses.
2. The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 496,637 call contracts traded on Thursday, compared to 359,265 put contracts. The resultant single-session equity put/call ratio rose to 0.72, while the 21-day moving average held at 0.74. 
3. Adobe Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ:ADBE) is pointed 5.4% higher pre-market after the Photoshop parent reported better-than-expected earnings -- outweighing a modest 2016 outlook. As a result, no fewer than 10 brokerage firms raised their price targets on the stock. ADBE is now on track to open at a new record high.
4. Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) announced plans to invest another $4.5 billion in hybrid and electric vehicles by 2020, with the hope of adding 13 energy-efficient models to its lineup -- a trend among traditional automakers trying to compete with Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA). However, ahead of the bell, F shares are off 0.7%.
5. Amid a tanking crude market, ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) and Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) said they intend to sell their stakes in a major oil and gas block in Indonesia.

Earnings and Economic Data

Many of the week's big data reports will hit the Street today, with business inventories and the preliminary Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey due out. There are no major earnings reports scheduled. To see what's coming up on next week's agenda, click here.