Oil futures are set to snap a 10-day losing streak
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI), S&P 500 Index (SPX), and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) are lower today, ahead of a likely a low-volume session, with bond markets and banks closed as the U.S. marks Veterans Day. However, investors are still eyeing a rebound in oil prices, after Saudi Arabia announced it would cut its output in December. At last check, December-dated crude futures were up 1.5% to trade at $61.03 per barrel. Black gold is on track to snap a 10-day losing streak, its worst skid in over 30 years.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
- This is the best retail stock to own before the holidays.
- Analysts are buying this biotech stock sell-off.
- CNQ stock was clipped by Keystone Pipeline ruling.
- Plus, Yelp gets downgraded; Third Point trims Netflix stake; and the FDA buzz dragging tobacco stocks.
5 Things You Need to Know Today
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The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 1.05 million call contracts traded on Friday. This is compared to 836,858 put contracts. The single-session equity put/call ratio jumped to 0.80, and the 21-day moving average rose to 0.67.
- Just one day after shedding 26% because of an earnings miss, Yelp Inc (NYSE:YELP) stock is down 1.1% in electronic trading, after SunTrust Robinson downgraded the online review name to "hold" from "buy." Friday's drop took YELP below its year-to-date breakeven level, to a new annual low of $29.35.
- Following a flurry of negative headlines on Friday, Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) added one more over the weekend. Hedge fund Third Point Capital trimmed its stake in the FAANG name to 1.3 million shares from 2 million. In response, NFLX is down 1.1% ahead of the bell. Nevertheless, the stock still boasts a 58% lead in 2018.
- Shares of Altria Group Inc (NYSE:MO) are down 4.9% in electronic trading, after a Wall Street Journal report indicated the Food and Drug Administration is considering a ban on menthol cigarettes in the U.S. Altria stock has been a solid climber on the charts since its May 15 bottom below $54, but appears to have found a ceiling at the $66 level.
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U.S. banks are closed for Veterans Day, and there are no major data points set for release. Eventbrite (EB) and Veritone (VERI) will report earnings.
Oil Prices Lift Asian Markets, European Tech Sector Sells Off
It was a mostly higher finish for Asian stocks today, with investor sentiment boosted by bouncing oil prices. China's Shanghai Composite outpaced its regional peers, adding 1.2% after the People's Bank of China removed a phrase that would allow markets to influence the yuan in its third-quarter monetary report and Premier Li Keqiang signaled more support for the private sector. Hong Kong's Hang Seng and Japan's Nikkei also finished on the plus side -- adding about 0.1% apiece -- while South Korea's Kospi closed down 0.3%.
European markets are in the red at midday, pressured by a sharp sell-off in the tech sector -- with German names Infineon and Sap two notable decliners. Volatile energy prices are also sparking the risk-off session, with the German DAX down 1.3%, the French CAC 40 off 0.5%, and London's FTSE 100 0.3% lower.