However, the three major indexes are poised for their best week since April
Stock futures are lower this morning, despite the U.S. Labor Department reporting better-than-expected job growth and unemployment data for October. Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) futures are just below fair value, while the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) are staring at marginal losses as well. Regardless, all three major indexes are poised for their best week wince since April.
Meanwhile, election results are still unclear, though Republicans are filing legal challenges in several states, and President Donald Trump made accusations of voter fraud without supporting evidence during a White House announcement -- receiving criticism from several GOP peers. At the time of this publishing, former Vice President Joe Biden has taken the lead in Georgia and Pennsylvania. Should at least the latter hold, Biden will have enough electoral votes to become President Elect of the United States.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
- REGN rises on potential COVID-19 treatment approval.
- Options bulls blast gold stock after dividend hike.
- Plus, CVS Health names new executive; Hershey stock rises on strong Halloween sales; and streaming device maker reports blowout earnings.
5 Things You Need to Know Today
- The Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE) saw more than 1.6 million call contracts traded on Thursday, and 749,007 put contracts. The single-session equity put/call ratio dropped to 0.44 and the 21-day moving average stayed at 0.50.
- CVS Health Corp (NYSE:CVS) is up 2.6% in pre-market trading, after the retail pharmacy giant announced President of Aetna's health insurance unit, Karen Lynch, will be its next CEO starting Feb. 1. In addition, the company reported a third-quarter sales and profit win, thanks to increased prescription drug volumes. Year-to-date, CVS remains down 17.3%.
- Hershey Co (NYSE: HSY) is up 1.4% before the bell, after the chocolate concern reported better-than-expected third-quarter profit beat. The company attributed the positive results to strong Halloween sales, as well as an increase in demand for cocoa powder and chocolate chips. In the last six moths, Hershey's stock has gained 10.8%.
- The shares of Roku Inc (NASDAQ: ROKU) are up 4.6% in electronic trading, thanks to the streaming device maker's blowout third-quarter earnings and revenue. The company also said active accounts are up 43% from a year prior, as consumers turned to their products for entertainment during the coronavirus pandemic. This year, ROKU is up 68.1%.
- Consumer credit data will be released today.
European Markets Drop as Coronavirus, U.S. Elections Dampen Sentiment
Stocks in Asia closed the week out with mixed results, as the tight U.S. presidential election continues to hold investor’s attention. Additionally, investors kept their eyes peeled as the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) released its monetary policy statement and said the pandemic will hinder gross domestic product (GDP) until the end of 2021, while the U.S. Federal Reserve kept interest rates near zero. In response, Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.9%, while South Korea’s Kospi finished the day 0.1% higher. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed shop 0.07% higher, while the Shanghai Composite in China finished with a 0.2% loss.
European stocks, meanwhile, are pulling back, reacting to election news that shows Democratic candidate Joe Biden put pressure on U.S. President Donald Trump in key swing states. Additionally, rising coronavirus cases and new restrictions across the continent put a damper on sentiment. As a result, London’s FTSE 100 has shed 0.2% so far today, while France’s CAC 40 was last seen off 0.9%. Rounding out the region, the German DAX so far has lost 1.1%.