DJIA futures are slightly lower after a run to record highs, but the index is on pace for a stellar weekly gain
Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) futures are just below breakeven, indicating a slightly lower start for the session, after four days of gains
ushered the blue-chip index to a record high. Weighing on stocks are sliding oil prices, with global glut concerns in focus after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) reported its October crude output increased by 240,000 barrels per day -- casting doubts on a production cut deal. At last check, December-dated crude futures were 2% lower at $43.75 per barrel. Meanwhile, traders are digesting a round of mixed earnings from retailers, as well as comments from
Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer, who said we're "close" to hitting inflation and employment targets, making the case for gradual rate hikes "quite strong."
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) are roughly 6 points below fair value.
5 Things You Need to Know Today
- The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 1,387,868 call contracts traded on Thursday -- the most since January -- compared to 827,502 put contracts. The resultant single-session equity put/call ratio slipped to 0.60, while the 21-day moving average edged lower to 0.68.
- Media giant and Dow component Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS) is set to add 1.8% at the open, despite a miss in the earnings confessional. CEO Robert Iger waxed optimistic on struggling ESPN, and predicted "more robust growth" in fiscal 2017 and 2018.
- Short sellers and option bears could be rewarded today after J C Penney Company Inc's (NYSE:JCP) quarterly sales disappointed. The stock is down 8.3% ahead of the bell, and could be staring at a close below $8 for the first time since early June.
- Chipmaker NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is set to open at a record high, up 17.8% in electronic trading, after the company's third-quarter earnings flew past estimates. The stock is seeing a slew of upbeat analyst attention, but pessimistic traders could be left kicking rocks.
- Banks are closed for Veteran's Day, but markets will be open, with the preliminary Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index for November due. Rounding out the week's earnings calendar will be offshore driller Atwood Oceanics (ATW).
Overseas Trading
Asian stocks ended the day mixed, with Japan's Nikkei gaining 0.2%, paring earlier gains of nearly 1%, as the yen rose against the dollar. South Korea's Kospi sank 0.9%, after the Bank of Korea left interest rates unchanged. Hong Kong's Hang Seng also fell, losing 1.4%. Meanwhile, China's Shanghai Composite saw a 0.8% gain, officially entering bull-market territory.
European stocks are mixed at midday, as the risk-on reaction to the U.S. election results begins to stall. Meanwhile, renewed "Brexit" jitters weighed on stocks, after a number of British officials indicated willingness to vote against the measure. As such, London's FTSE 100 is down 1%. The French CAC 40 is also down at midday, dropping 0.4%, while Germany's DAX is up 0.6%, with data indicating little change in inflation for October.
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