Homebuilder Lennar Corporation (NYSE:LEN) is due to report earnings ahead of the bell on Monday. While homebuilder confidence has improved since the most recent U.S. presidential election, recent data on November housing starts showed a sharper-than-expected decline from October's highs, offering mixed signals on the housing market recovery. In any case, option buyers are betting on some extended upside for LEN.

Ahead of Monday's earnings call, LEN is trading up 0.7% at $43.66 so far today. The stock has managed to recover 9% since its November lows, riding post-election momentum and short covering, but backed down from its 200-day moving average. However, it appears the shares may have found a level of support from their 30-day moving average.

In the option pits, LEN's calls are trading at seven times their average intraday pace, and currently outpace calls 16-to-1, with 4,887 calls crossing the line so far today. It appears one trader may be rolling a bullish position higher ahead of options expiration today, liquidating 1,876 in-the-money December 42 calls to scoop up an equal number of January 2017 46-strike calls.

Widening the scope, today's appetite for calls isn't unusual for LEN option players. LEN's 20-day call/put volume ratio at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) shows 1.63 calls bought to open for every put over the last four weeks of trading. Drilling down, the December 45 call is LEN's top front-month open interest position, and in the January series -- which assumes front-month status after tonight's close -- the 44-strike call is king.

On the earnings front, LEN has averaged a single-session, post-earnings move of 2.8%, finishing six of the last eight in the red. This time around, LEN option players are pricing in a 3.7% single-day swing in either direction. Given that Lennar Corporation (NYSE:LEN) short interest is down by 40.6% over the last reporting period, it would appear it's not just option bulls expecting more upside for LEN. 

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The Fed funds rate is the interest rate banks use when they lend to each other, typically on an overnight basis. The federal funds rate essentially sets the tone for all other interest rates in the U.S., so the higher it is, the more it costs to borrow money. While the Fed doesn't directly control the federal funds rate, which can fluctuate overnight, its actions hold sway, as the target for the Fed funds rate is set by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). Fed funds futures and options contracts, meanwhile, allow investors to speculate on the probability of a quarter-point hike in the target rate -- as we just saw earlier this week.

The pricing of Fed funds futures contracts is based on investor expectations of what the Fed's next move will be, and comparing contracts for different months can give traders insight into how the Fed funds rate is expected to change. CME Group (CME) offers contracts from the current month to two years out. The probability of a rate hike for any particular month is found by adding the probabilities of all potential target rate levels above the current level.

Hedging a portfolio with Fed funds futures and option contracts can help traders protect themselves against sudden market moves based on Fed actions. In addition, watching the price action of Fed funds futures can give investors insight into the overall market expectations for interest rates in upcoming months. However, it is important to note that determining Fed rate hikes is far from an exact science, so it's always best to use common sense and caution when deciding how to invest.

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U.S. stocks are mixed, following today's disappointing housing data. Among specific equities in focus today are auction house Sothebys (NYSE:BID), Wall Street freshman Trivago (NASDAQ:TRVG), and marketing stock Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC). Here's a quick look at what's moving BID, TRVG, and OMC. 

• BID is trading 8.8% higher at $41.77 -- and just off an annual high of $42.66 -- after receiving some positive analyst attention from Cowen and Company, which upgraded BID to "outperform" from "market perform," and hiked its price target to $45 from $38. BID is up 61% so far this year, and currently sits above the $41 mark that acted as a ceiling to the shares in August. A number of Sothebys short sellers may be sweating, with short interest up 6.8% over the last reporting period, and shorted shares now accounting for 21.7% of BID's float, which would take almost four weeks of trading to cover, at BID's average daily volume.
  
  
• Hotel search platform and Expedia Inc (NASDAQ:EXPE) spinoff TRVG is having a promising Wall Street debut, with shares trading at $11.88, after opening on Thursday at $11.20 per share -- above its initial public offering (IPO) price of $11 per share. Trivago also lowered the number of its American depositary receipts to 26.1 million -- down from the previously planned 28.5 million -- to raise $188 million. Earlier the shares touched $12.43 before retreating back below the $12 level.

• OMC is down 2.4% at $85.87, after this morning's announcement that two of the company's units received subpoenas from the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division, which is examining video production practices in the ad industry. Omnicom Group Inc. said it planned to fully cooperate with the investigation. OMC is up more than 13% so far in 2016, and touched a record high $89.66 earlier this week. Some put players are likely cheering today's pullback, with OMC's 10-day put/calll volume ratio at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) of 3.96 sitting in the top 84% of its annual range.

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The week started on a strong note, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) continuing its rally through Tuesday, making a run at the 20,000 mark seem almost certain as oil prices surged. But all eyes were on the Federal Reserve by mid-week, as the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) met to hammer out the latest policy decisions. As expected, on Wednesday, the Fed announced it would raise interest rates by a quarter point. More surprisingly, however, the committee also revealed it is planning for three interest-rate hikes in 2017 -- news that strengthened the dollar, and sent bank stocks soaring. A stronger U.S. dollar weighed on oil prices, though, leaving the Dow, the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq Composite (COMP) struggling to hold gains through the end of this quadruple witching expiration week.

Bank stocks were in focus both before and after Wednesday's Fed decision. Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC) received a boost from the brokerage bunch on Tuesday, as did this sector peer, which saw in influx of bearish options betting. Meanwhile, one speculator initiated a seven-figure bet against the U.S. dollar -- a losing position, so far. And while the Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) pulled back just ahead of Wednesday's interest-rate announcement, the exchange-traded fund's calls were in high demand. After the rate hike was made official, big name banks stole the spotlight, but these three under-the-radar peers have been soaring lately, too. On the other hand, financial interests Fidelity National Information Services Inc (NYSE:FIS) and ICICI Bank Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:IBN) may be getting more love than they deserve.

As is hardly atypical, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was among the tech stocks in focus this week, being named a "Top Pick for 2017" at Needham, and picking up a fresh bullish rating from Piper Jaffray. Apple also released its AirPod headphones for sale early in the week, and launched a new line of iOS emojis. But given AAPL's high esteem on Wall Street, and its ongoing troubles at the $116 level, it might not be such smooth sailing ahead for the tech titan. Elsewhere in the sector, chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) received an upbeat analyst note Monday, and tapped a fresh nine-year high just this morning. Meanwhile, Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) yesterday revealed the biggest known data breach in history, with more than one billion users affected -- though this cybersecurity stock tried to profit from YHOO's loss.

It was another notable week for biotech stocks, with three names making big moves Monday on drug news and a C-suite shake-up. Long-troubled Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl Inc (NYSE:VRX) slid to a fresh seven-year low after the company revealed three top executives were hitting the bricks, and Bill Ackman's Pershing Square cut its stake in the drugmaker. Also weighing on VRX were comments from Morgan Stanley, which said it will "move to sidelines." Mylan NV (NASDAQ:MYL) also came under pressure after the Department of Justice filed its first generic-drug price-fixing probe against the company. Meanwhile, AveXis Inc (NASDAQ:AVXS) found itself the latest target of short seller Citron Research.

After the SPX finished last week on its sixth straight daily win, history suggested Monday could be a down day -- which it was -- and also predicted diminished returns for the month ahead. Adding to the case for near-term underperformance, 30% of optionable SPX stocks notched 52-week highs in the prior two weeks -- a signal last seen two years earlier. On the other hand, Schaeffer's Senior Quantative Analyst Rocky White broke down a historical case that suggested the SPX could continue to rally through year's end, especially after a strong start to December. And shifting attention back to the blue-chip index, the Dow has been eyeing a record set during the tech bubble, with optimism sky-high in the wake of the Trump rally. But with the large-cap index on pace for its sixth consecutive weekly win, a look back at weekly win streaks of the past reiterates that lower returns could be on the way in the months to come.

As the week draws to a close, the Dow is on track to finish the week 0.5% higher, but the SPX and COMP are lagging, off 0.05% and 0.2% respectively for the week. Plus, the small-cap Russell 2000 Index (RUT) will officially snap its weekly winning streak, off 1.7% this week, while volatility has seen a pop of more than 6% over the past five sessions. Looking ahead, Dow component Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) will join a number of tech firms in reporting quarterly earnings next week. And on the economic front, all eyes will be on Thursday's final third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) reading.

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Bank stocks have ranked among the top sectors since the presidential election. However, shares of some financial firms have underperformed. For contrarians like us, the key is in finding stocks where there is a disconnect between performance and sentiment. In this case, both Fidelity National Information Services Inc (NYSE:FIS) and ICICI Bank Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:IBN) appear to be overloved, relative to how they've fared on the charts.

Take, for example, FIS. At $77.35, the stock has barely budged since the election. In fact, the shares are one of only a few within the banking sector not perched above the 80-day moving average.

Not to mention, the $80 level has begun to materialize as a layer of resistance, capping the stock's late-November gains. Moreover, with a burst of buy-to-open activity yesterday at the January 2017 80-strike call, the position is now home to peak open interest among all FIS options. This could potentially reinforce resistance over the next month.

That hasn't stopped Wall Street from growing extremely bullish toward Fidelity National Information Services Inc. Nearly 90% of analysts tracking the stock have doled out a "buy" or better recommendation. If the shares fail to make a meaningful move higher, a round of downgrades could intensify selling pressure.

IBN is another bank stock residing below its 80-day trendline. This wasn't the case prior to the election, but since then, the shares have retreated 6.6% to trade at $7.66

If there's a silver lining to be found, it's that IBN recently touched its 160-day moving average. This is the sixth occurrence over the past three years, and returns have historically been bullish after the fact. Specifically, the stock has averaged a 21-day post-signal gain of 5.3%, with 60% positive.

That said, ICICI Bank Ltd could be in trouble if it fails to bounce. While only two analysts track the shares, both have handed out a "strong buy" recommendation. In other words, IBN may be vulnerable to a round of downgrades and/or bearish analyst initiations.

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Analysts are weighing in on tech giant Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Apple supplier Jabil Circuit, Inc. (NYSE:JBL), and drug stock Horizon Pharma PLC (NASDAQ:HZNP). Here's a quick roundup of today's bullish brokerage notes on AAPL, JBL, and HZNP.

• AAPL is enjoying a second straight day of upbeat analyst attention, this time as Piper Jaffray initiated coverage with an "overweight" rating and a lofty $155 price target -- well into record-high territory. The stock is up 0.4% ahead of the bell, after finishing Thursday at $115.82, but the overhead $116 level could continue to cause trouble. And while analysts keep jumping on Apple Inc.'s bullish bandwagon, a rush of pessimism has been spotted elsewhere -- with short interest on the equity soaring by nearly 33% during the most recent reporting period. Still, just 1.1% of AAPL's total float is sold short, leaving plenty of room for more bears to pile on.
  
  
• JBL is set to pop 10.3% at the open after the company’s fiscal first-quarter earnings and revenue beat estimates on the Street, and guidance came in higher than expected. As a result, J.P. Morgan Securities, Deutsche Bank, RBC, and UBS each raised its price target on the stock, with the latter setting the highest target, at $28 -- territory not explored in roughly a decade. Should this morning's gains materialize, Jabil Circuit, Inc. -- down 7.4% this year at $21.57 -- could finally break out of the sideways pattern it's been stuck in since late September, and begin testing long-term resistance in the $23-$26 region. Not to mention, the shares could finish in positive year-to-date territory for just the second time in 2016. In the options pits, near-term traders have been unusually put-skewed toward JBL, per the stock's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.94 -- higher than 86% of the past year's readings.
  
  
• HZNP is up 8.8% in pre-market trading, following an upgrade to "buy" from "neutral" at Mizuho, which also raised its price target to $25 from $14 -- essentially reversing the move it made just one week ago. Also boosting the shares ahead of the open is news Horizon Pharma PLC has entered into a rebate agreement with Express Scripts Holding Company (NASDAQ:ESRX). At $14.93, HZNP is sitting on a painful 31% year-to-date deficit, so it's no surprise traders have been betting against the stock. In fact short interest on HZNP -- despite dropping more than 10% during the last reporting period -- accounts for 9.7% of the security's available float. Moreover, these bearish bets would take over a week to cover, at HZNP's typical daily pace.

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U.S. stock futures are higher this morning, putting Dow 20,000 in focus. Among specific equities in the spotlight today are manufacturing stock Honeywell International Inc. (NYSE:HON), as well as biotechs Evoke Pharma Inc (NASDAQ:EVOK) and Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD). Here's a quick look at what's driving HON, EVOK, and GILD.

• A disappointing full-year outlook has HON pointed 1.8% lower in electronic trading. The shares would remain atop their rising 200-day moving average on such a move, however, after closing Thursday at $116.34 -- up 13% in 2016. But, if Honeywell International Inc. does breach the 200-day and losses mount, the stock could fall victim to bearish analyst attention. Fourteen of 16 brokerage firms recommend buying HON shares, while zero consider a "sell." 
  
  
• EVOK is up over 40% in pre-market trading, after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave its lead drug, Gimoti, positive application guidance. Even if these gains come to fruition, the stock will be sitting far below its July peak of $11.11, closing Thursday at $1.44. Evoke Pharma Inc short sellers would like to see the downtrend resume. Despite a 18.6% decline during the last two reporting periods, short interest represents 13.2% of the stock's float, equating to more than a week's worth of buying power, according to average daily volumes.  
  
  
• GILD is down 1.7% ahead of the open, after a jury awarded Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) roughly $2.5 billion in royalties in the companies' patent dispute. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has been trending lower throughout the year, underperforming the S&P 500 Index (SPX) by 11 percentage points during the past three months to trade at $75.55. Despite the stock's struggles, options traders have been overwhelmingly bullish. For instance, GILD's 10-day call/put volume ratio of 5.70 at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) ranks in the 99th annual percentile. 

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Analysts are weighing in on weight loss specialist Weight Watchers International, Inc. (NYSE:WTW), software stock Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL), and biotech issue Agios Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:AGIO). Here's a quick roundup of today's bearish brokerage notes on WTW, ORCL, and AGIO.

• WTW has dropped 6.5% to $10.14, after Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock to "underweight" from "equal weight," and cut its price target to $8 from $12 -- representing annual-low territory for the shares. Weight Watchers International, Inc. has been slumping through most of 2016, most recently running into trouble in the $10.50-$11 region, home to its 10- and 20-week moving averages. Some traders certainly seem to be betting on more losses ahead, too -- more than 50% of WTW's available float is currently sold short, representing almost five weeks' worth of buying power, at the stock's average daily volume. 
  
  
• ORCL is off 4.3% at $39.12 -- paring its year-to-date lead to 7.1% -- after the company's quarterly revenue fell short of expectations. The stock has seen a mixed bag of analyst attention as a result -- Stifel and BMO cut their price targets on the stock to $44 and $45, respectively, while Wedbush and UBS increased their respective targets to $42 and $45. Still, more than half of the analysts following Oracle Corporation maintain a "buy" or better rating. Plus, the shares are so far holding on to a familiar foothold above the 50-day moving average.


• AGIO has given back 20.3% to trade at $44.56, after the company halted development on its troubled anemia treatment, AG-519, prompting Credit Suisse to cut its price target to $66 from $72 and Janney to slash its price target to $44 from $51. The shares have already surrendered nearly 31% of their value year-to-date, and could be in for more trouble after giving up their perch above the $46 level. Bearish options traders could be cheering this latest development, though. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), Agios Pharmaceuticals Inc's 10-day put/call volume ratio of 0.37 is higher than 71% of all readings from the past 12 months, indicating a healthier-than-usual appetite for long puts over calls of late.

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Package delivery expert FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX) has been terrific on the charts in 2016. Shares of FDX are up 31.8% year-to-date, touching an all-time high of $201.57 earlier this week, and were last seen at $196.41. The stock is looking to build off this strong performance -- and shrug off negative news reports -- during the holiday season, especially with today being "Free Shipping Day." Not only that, but bullish analyst attention and an upcoming earnings report make FDX stock worth watching in the weeks ahead. 

Cowen and Company just last night boosted its price target on FedEx to $240 from $180. This means the brokerage firm is expecting a roughly 22% gain from the stock. Any additional gains, possibly sparked by a strong earnings report next week, could bring forth more bullish notes, too. While 10 analysts rate FDX stock a "strong buy," six others sit on the fence with tepid "hold" ratings. 

As alluded to, the shipping company is scheduled to report earnings after the close next Tuesday. Looking back, FDX shares have gained in the session after an earnings release in three of the past four quarters, including a 2% upside move last December. The options market is pricing in a nearly 7% swing in either direction for Wednesday's session, which is essentially identical to the stock's post-earnings move last quarter, when it jumped 6.9%. 

Still, a closer look at the options data shows a preference for puts over calls. For starters, put buying has been more popular than call buying during the past two weeks at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), with a put/call volume ratio of 1.27 -- in the top third of all readings from the last year. Plus, FDX's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) sits at 2.61. Not only does this reading show put open interest more than doubles call open interest among options expiring within three months, but it also ranks in the 97th annual percentile, suggesting such a put skew is highly unusual. 

Of course, given FDX's impressive gains this year, this activity may not be exactly bearish. Specifically, it's likely some of this focus on puts can be attributed to shareholders locking in paper profits and protecting themselves from a possible post-earnings drop. Legitimizing this theory is the fact that some of the largest increases in put open interest in the standard soon-to-be front-month January series during the past five days have occurred at strikes that are far out of the money. 

There are two reasons bullish FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX) traders may show concern, though. The stock's boom up the charts has left it with a 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) of 70, meaning the shares have technically been overbought, and could be due for a pullback -- which is occurring today, with FDX last seen 0.8% lower. Also, it's also possible the round $200 level could act as resistance, especially since the shares failed to hold above this mark earlier in the week. 

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Amid a slew of food-borne illness incidents, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) has dropped nearly 30% of its value year-over-year, with traders and analysts largely disappointed in the company's recovery so far. Today, though, the stock has added 2.1% at $390.32 on news the burrito specialist has added four members to its board, under pressure from activist investor Bill Ackman. This development has CMG calls flying off the shelves, with some speculators betting on a last-minute rally.

Specifically, call options are changing hands at double the typical intraday rate. In fact, call volume is running in the 99th percentile of its annual range, while call and total open interest are already seated just 1 percentage point from annual highs. Most active today is the December 400 call, where it appears some bullish traders are purchasing new positions. Buyers of the call are betting on CMG shares bounding above the $400 century mark before tonight's close, when the front-month option expires.

Taking a step back, a preference for CMG calls is nothing new. In fact, the stock's 10-day call/put volume ratio of 1.21 at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) sits within the top third of all readings from the past 52 weeks. However, from a contrarian perspective, an unwinding of this optimism in the face of Chipotle's ongoing troubles could send the stock sliding lower.

In any case, options buyers targeting near-term strikes could be getting a good deal at the moment. CMG's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 31% sits in the low 21st percentile of its annual range. Put simply, this indicates the equity's short-term options are pricing in muted volatility expectations.

Outside of the options arena, CMG is no stranger to skepticism. For example, nearly 20% of the stock's total float is wrapped up in short interest. In fact, it's possible some of these short sellers have been purchasing out-of-the-money calls, hedging against extended upside in the underlying.

As noted earlier, CMG has been slumping on the charts throughout the year, tapping a three-year low just north of $350 in early November. Though the stock is on pace to end this week with a gain -- bucking a historically bearish trend -- Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) seems to be running into trouble at the descending 50-day moving average, which has served alternately as both support and resistance in recent months.

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Travel interest Expedia Inc (NASDAQ:EXPE) has had a bumpy road over the past 12 months, shedding one-third of its value between mid-December and early February, but then hitting a series of higher highs and lows in the ensuing months. The shares topped out at an annual peak of $133.55 in late October, and have since pulled back to multiple layers of support. If EXPE can manage a bounce from here, there may be enough fuel left in the tank for another run higher.

Specifically, the stock has pulled back to its 160-day moving average -- a signal that has occurred five previous times in the last three years, according to Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White. Looking back at these five signals, EXPE stock has averaged a five-day post-signal return of 0.5%, and has been positive 80% of the time. At 21 days out, the shares have also been positive four out of five times. However, the average return for the period comes in at negative 0.1%. Put simply, a pullback to this trendline tends to precede a move higher, but if not, it could indicate a particularly large drop-off ahead.

Luckily, EXPE has so far managed to stay above the trendline in question, up 0.9% today at $117.45. And there's more support on the stock's side, as well. The 320-day moving average has taken on a helpful role for the shares, as has the $116-177 region, which supported EXPE in late-September and early October, afters serving as resistance earlier in the year. 

Assuming the stock can stay above water, it looks like there's room to run. After all, the 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) of 34 is edging on oversold territory. Plus, short interest represents 11.4% of EXPE's total float, even after these bearish bets dropped by nearly 13% during the last two reporting periods. At the equity's typical pace of trading, it would take nearly two weeks for short sellers to cover their positions.

Meanwhile, options traders have been picking up EXPE puts at an unusual rate in recent months. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), the stock holds a 50-day put/call volume ratio of 1.09 -- in the bearishly skewed 79th percentile of its annual range. Puts are hot today, too, trading hands at twice the expected intraday rate. So far it looks like some speculators may be buying to open the December 117 put, betting on EXPE to slip back below the strike by tomorrow's close, when the front-month series expires.

Not everyone is a pessimist, however. Expedia Inc (NASDAQ:EXPE) has seen a fair bit of bullish attention from the brokerage bunch, with 84% of covering analysts rating the security a "buy" or better, and not a single "sell" opinion on the books. Plus, the average 12-month price target sits well overhead, at $142.46 -- in never-before seen territory.

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Ahead of the long Christmas weekend, there will be plenty of economic data and earnings reports to digest. In the spotlight will be final numbers on third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP), due out Thursday. Meanwhile, Dow stock Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) will step into the earnings spotlight, as will a number of major tech firms.

Below is a brief list of some key market events scheduled for the upcoming week. All earnings dates listed below are tentative and subject to change. Please check with each company's respective website for official reporting dates.

Things are relatively quiet on both the economic and earnings fronts for Monday, Dec. 19. The flash reading of the Markit services purchasing managers index (PMI) is the sole economic report due. Meanwhile, earnings from Lennar (LEN) will be in the crosshairs.

There are no notable economic reports scheduled on Tuesday, Dec. 20. However, it will be a busy day for earnings. Joining NKE in the confessional will be BlackBerry (BBRY), CarMax (KMX), Carnival (CCL), Darden Restaurants (DRI), FedEx (FDX), and General Mills (GIS) all set to report. 

Existing home sales and weekly crude inventories data will be released on Wednesday, Dec. 21. Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) and Finish Line (FINL) will step up to the earnings stage. Tech firms Accenture (ACN), Micron Technology (MU), and Red Hat (RHT) will also report.

All eyes on Thursday, Dec. 22 will be focused on the final reading on third-quarter GDP. Other reports on the docket are durable goods orders, weekly jobless claims, and personal income and spending. Entering the earnings confessional will be Cal-Maine Foods (CALM) and Rite Aid (RAD).

The week will conclude on Friday, Dec. 23 with new home sales and the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey. There are no earnings reports worth noting. Looking ahead, U.S. markets will be closed on Monday, Dec. 26 for the Christmas holiday.

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