The Dow is up 56 points at midday
The major indexes are clocking in modest gains this afternoon, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) and the S&P 500 Index (SPX) both sit back within striking distance of their respective record highs. Both indexes are gearing up for record closing highs, too, should these midday gains hold. The Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) is also on the rise, erasing some of Friday's plummet, as shares of Tesla (TSLA) churn higher on a fresh price-target hike from Morgan Stanley. It's going to be a big week for the broader tech sector, too, with earnings reports from a slew of big names including Facebook (FB), Apple (AAPL), and Microsoft (MSFT). Energy stocks are also on the rise, after crude futures hit $85 per barrel.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
- What sunk Kimberly Clark stock after earnings.
- Why 1 analyst turned cautious on Whirlpool stock.
- Plus, TWTR targeted by options traders before earnings; BKKT strikes big crypto deal; and ML selloff intensifies.
Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) is seeing a surge in options trading today, with 42,000 calls and 14,000 puts exchanged so far -- double the intraday average. The most popular is the November 60 call, followed by the 67.50 call in the same monthly series, with positions being opened at the former. TWTR is gearing up for its third-quarter earnings report, which is due out after the close tomorrow, Oct. 26. The stock is up 2% at $62.32 at last check, and is up 14.9% for the year.
The top performer on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) today is Bakkt Holdings Inc (NYSE:BKKT). The company just announced a partnership with MasterCard (MA) which will offer innovative cryptocurrency and loyalty solutions. The stock is up 77.5% at $16.24, and trading at its highest level since February, Plus, the security toppled recent pressure at its 120-day moving average, and now sports a year-to-date lead of 50%.
One of the worst stocks today is Moneylion Inc (NYSE:ML), which was last seen down 20.7% at $5.39. While the reason for the plummet is unclear, ML's recent downturn has been nothing short of alarming, and in the past month alone, the stock has lost over 30%. Today's drop has the security trading at its lowest level on record, with the stock threatening to close below the formerly supportive $5.60 level.