Oil prices are signaling a pullback today
Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) futures look ready to kick off the week with a flourish, sitting over 700 points above fair value. Futures on the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) and S&P 500 Index (SPX) are also sharply higher before the open, as investors are encouraged by somewhat upbeat coronavirus rhetoric coming from the White House yesterday that touted stabilizing hospital rates. Plus, death rates in Europe are slowing, underscoring the effectiveness of social distancing. Oil prices appear ready to pull back today, with May-dated crude futures down 3.1% to trade at $27.47 per barrel.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
- One reason to target Netflix stock now.
- Apple stores will be closed until May.
- Plus, United Airlines limits NYC exposure; Kraft ramps up packaged food volume; and eBay stock upgraded.
5 Things You Need to Know Today
- The Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 1.04 million call contracts traded on Friday, and 868,724 put contracts. The single-session equity put/call ratio rose to 0.83, and the 21-day moving average climbed to 0.85.
- United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:UAL) stock is up 1.1% before the open, despite announcing flight reductions to the New York City area. Price-target cuts from Citigroup and J.P. Morgan Securities to $51 are paring any steep gains on UAL, which was down 74% year-to-date heading into today.
- Kraft Heinz Co (NASDAQ:KHC) stock is up 3% ahead of the bell, after the packaged food company announced it will add shifts at plants to pump out more items that have seen a spike in demand during the stay-at-home orders. KHC has added 26% since a March 16 bottom of $19.99.
- The shares of eBay Inc (NASDAQ:EBAY) are up 5.5% in electronic trading, after Guggenheim doled out an upgrade to "buy" from "neutral." The analyst in coverage praised the e-commerce name's valuation and minimal inventory risk. It looks like EBAY will topple its 20-day moving average today for the first time in a month.
- The week starts off with nothing on tap as far as economic data. On the earnings docket, however, is LK.
Overseas Stocks Up on Slowdown Optimism
Markets in Asia ended mostly higher on Monday amid news that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) meeting was delayed. Japan’s Nikkei paced the region with a 4.2% pop, bolstered by financial bigwig Softbank. South Korea’s Kospi also saw notable gains, adding 3.9%, while the Hong Kong's Hang Seng tacked on 2.2%. China’s Shanghai Composite was closed for a holiday.
An apparent slowdown of coronavirus cases in Europe has the major bourses in the region surging midday. So far, the French CAC 40 is up 3.6%, while the German DAX has jumped 4.7%. Meanwhile, the London FTSE 100 is 2.1% higher amid news that U.K. Primer Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to the hospital over the weekend for tests as a “precautionary step,” after contracting the virus 10 days ago.