The S&P 500 and Nasdaq are eyeing their fifth straight week of gains
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) is up around 50 points midday, on track to continue improving its year-to-date gains, after yesterday's rally pulled back slightly to close. The S&P 500 (SPX) and Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) are also in the black thanks to outperforming tech, with the former eyeing a record closing high. Investors are sifting through positive economic data, as U.S. consumer spending rose 1.9% in July, and personal income rose 0.4% -- both higher than expected. All three major indexes are looking at modest weekly gains, and if today holds, the SPX and IXIC are on track for their fifth-straight.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
- Analyst praises Kellogg stock over sector peer.
- Blue-chip soda name pops on restructuring plan.
- Plus, tech giant sees a surge in options volume; ODT fights to rebound from bear gap; and OLLI brushes off bull notes.
One stock seeing notable activity in its options pits is HP Inc (NYSE:HPQ), last up 7% at $20 after a fiscal third-quarter beat and no fewer than six price-target hikes, the highest from Evercore ISI to $22. So far, 32,000 calls and 6,504 puts have crossed the tape -- seven times what's typically seen at this point. Most popular is the weekly 8/28 19-strike call, expiring today.
Scaling the Nasdaq today is Odonate Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:ODT), up 17.9% at $17.48 at last check, after the company announced a public share offering of 5.61 million shares priced at $14.25 per share. After a steep bear gap earlier this week, in which the company's positive breast cancer drug trial results failed to impress, ODT has had trouble breaking out past the $18 level. Currently, the stock is down 45.7% year-to-date.
On the other hand, dropping lower from this week's all-time high is Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:OLLI), down 6.6% at $99.91 at last check. The stock is brushing off no fewer than five price-target hikes -- including Jefferies to $139 -- after a positive second-quarter report. Now dropping below former support at the $100 level, the equity is still up 52.7% year-to-date.