Stock Futures Pointed Higher on Strong Employment Data

Stock futures are confidently higher this morning, as investors celebrate news that Pfizer's (PFE) Covid-19 antibody treatment cut risk of hospitalization by roughly 90%. An upbeat jobs report is also boosting sentiment, with nonfarm payrolls up 531,000 for October, well above Wall Street's estimates of 450,000. In turn, futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) are eyeing a triple-digit pop, while futures on the S&P 500 (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 (NDX) are pointed higher as well, after notching their sixth-straight record close yesterday.

Continue reading for more on today's market, including:

• This surging retail stock is the best to own in November.
• Why options traders blasted Qualcomm stock after earnings.
• Plus, more on Pfizer's antibody treatment; Peloton slashes full-year forecast; and Airbnb's upbeat earnings.

5 Things You Need to Know Today

1. The Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE) saw more than 2.6 million call contracts traded on Thursday, compared to 1 million put contracts. The single-session equity put/call ratio stayed at 0.39, and the 21-day moving average fell at 0.47.
2. The shares of Pfizer Inc. (NASDAQ:REGN) are surging today, last seen up 11.7% ahead of the open, after the drugmaker said it will ask regulators to approve its experimental Covid-19 antibody treatment as soon as possible, after a new study showed it reduced risk of both hospitalization and death by almost 90%. Year-over-year, PFE sports a 23.9% lead.
3. Home workout staple Peloton Interactive Inc (NASDAQ:PTON) is down 30.6% in electronic trading, after reporting worse-than-expected fiscal first-quarter losses and revenue. The company also cut its full-year forecast by $1 billion, as demand for its bikes and treadmills slows down. PTON has already shed 43.3% year-to-date.
4. Airbnb Inc (NASDAQ:ABNB) is up 4.8% before the bell, after beating Wall Street's third-quarter earnings estimates amid record sales. The company noted there has been a surge in travel demand, and added it expects an upbeat holiday season. Year-to-date, ABNB is up 21.6%.
5. The consumer credit report is also due out today.  

Chinese Property Developers Drag Asian Markets Lower

Stocks in Asia closed Friday lower, dragged down by falling shares of Chinese property developers. Namely, China Evergrande Group, China Vanke, and Sunac China Holdings all turned in steep daily losses, while Kaisa Group, along with several of its units, was suspended after missing a payment on a wealth management product. In response, the Hong Kong Hang Seng and Shanghai Composite fell 1.4% and 1%, respectively. Elsewhere, Japan’s Nikkei shed 0.6%, and South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.5%.

European markets are higher this afternoon, boosted by a surprise move by the Bank of England (BOE) to keep interest rates at historic lows following the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to begin tapering economic stimulus “later this month.” Additionally, more corporate earnings are helping the major bourses move higher. However, keeping a lid on gains, euro zone September retail sales fell unexpectedly in September, while German and French industrial production posted surprising pullbacks, as well. At last check, the French CAC is up 0.7%, London’s FTSE 100 is 0.5% higher, and Germany’s DAX has added 0.1%.