Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) are cautiously higher this morning, as Wall Street prepares for the incoming wave of Big Tech earnings reports. Futures on the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) are pointed modestly higher as well, after both indexes notched record closes in the previous session. Among last night's earnings reports, investors are weighing Tesla's (TSLA) top-line beat with its premarket move lower. Elsewhere, the Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting starts today, though the central bank is expected to keep its interest rates unchanged while inflation runs abound.

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

• Schaeffer's Senior V.P. of Research Todd Salamone reviews last week's key storylines.
• This chip name got a boost ahead of earnings tonight.
• Plus, Crocs' blowout quarterly win; more on TSLA; and GameStop wraps up million-dollar sale.

5 Things You Need to Know Today

1. The Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE) saw more than 1.4 million call contracts traded on Monday, and 468,796 put contracts. The single-session equity put/call ratio fell to 0.43 and the 21-day moving average stayed at 0.47.
2. Crocs, Inc. (NASDAQ:CROX) stock is up 9.2% before the bell, after the apparel concern blew analysts' top and bottom line estimates out of the water. Plus, the company noted it expects revenue to grow between 40% and 50% this year. CROX is up 294% year-over-year.
3. Electric vehicle name Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is down 1.8% ahead of the open, despite posting better-than-expected quarterly earnings and revenue. The house Elon Musk built attributed the strong results to automakers liquidating some bitcoin holdings, as well as environmental credit sales.
4. The shares of GameStop Corp. (NYSE:GME) are up 9.7% in electronic trading, after the videogame concern successfully sold 3.5 million shares for about $551 million. The meme stock is up 3,441% in 2021.

5. Today investors will be looking forward to the Case-Shiller year-over-year home price index, the consumer confidence index, and the home ownership rate.

Asian Markets Drop Amid Rising Covid-19 Infections

Most markets in Asia fell lower today, amid rising global coronavirus cases, with Japan keeping many cities in a state of emergency to help prevent the spread. Japan's Nikkei fell 0.5% today, after the Bank of Japan (BoJ) announced its decision to keep its monetary policy steady, while also changing its core inflation forecast to 0.1% from 0.5% for the fiscal year of 2021. Meanwhile, Hong Kong's Hang Seng and the South Korean Kospi dropped 0.04% and 0.07%, respectively. The only winner, China's Shanghai Composite, added 0.4%.

In Europe, shares are following suit midday, as investors unpack a number of big-name earnings. At last check, London's FTSE 100 is down 0.2%, the French CAC 40 has dipped 0.07%, and the German DAX has lost 0.3%.

Stock futures are indicating a lower open this morning, as Wall Street monitors the conclusion of the Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting, sifts through a batch of Big Tech earnings, and awaits updates on U.S. President Joe Biden's $1.8 trillion plan geared towards families and children.

Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) are staring at modest losses, while S&P 500 Index (SPX) futures are slightly below breakeven. Big tech earnings are in the spotlight, as investors pore over Alphabet (GOOGL) and Microsoft's (MSFT) corporate reports, with both Apple (AAPL) and Facebook (FB) reporting after the close.

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

• Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White breaks down this summer adage.
• Chart support captured LMT's latest pullback.
• Plus, GOOGL's big day; international sales weigh on Starbucks; and more on Microsoft's earnings.

5 Things You Need to Know Today

1. The Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE) saw more than 1.4 million call contracts traded on Tuesday, and 721,220 put contracts. The single-session equity put/call ratio rose to 0.50 and the 21-day moving average stayed at 0.47.
2. Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is up 5% before the bell, after the Google parent posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings as well as a revenue beat. The company also announced the buyback of $50 billion shares. GOOGL is up 31% in 2021.
3. Coffee chain Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:TSLA) is down 1.9% ahead of the open, after a revenue miss overshadowed an earnings beat. The company said the lackluster quarterly results can be attributed to weak international sales, though sales in the U.S. are back to pre-pandemic levels.
4. The shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) were last seen down 2.6% in electronic trading, despite the tech giant reporting quarterly earnings and revenue that was above Wall Street's estimates. The company said its expanding presence in cloud computing and business services have contributed to the strong results.

5. The day features the latest interest rate decision, and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell set to give a press conference at  2:30 p.m. ET immediately after. Separately, an advanced report on trade in goods is due out.

European Markets Higher as Investors Digest Earnings

Stocks in Asia were mostly higher today, with the exception of the South Korean Kospi, which finished with a 1.1% loss. Japan's Nikkei added 0.2%, after economic data showed the country's retail sales rose a better-than-expected 5.2% year-over-year in March. Elsewhere, Hong Kong's Hang Seng tacked on 0.5%, despite a Wall Street Journal report that Chinese authorities are investigating Alibaba’s (BABA) speedy approval for affiliate Ant Group’s stock listing last year. Lastly, China's Shanghai Composite ended 0.4% higher.

In Europe, shares are higher midday, as investors digest a pack of corporate earnings. The French CAC 40 is leading with a 0.6% gain, while London's FTSE 100 is close behind with a 0.5% rise, and the German DAX is up 0.4%.

Stock futures are higher at last check, lifted by strong quarterly reports from Big Tech giants Apple (AAPL) and Facebook (FB). Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) futures are eyeing a 138-digit pop, while Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) futures are aiming for even higher gains. Meanwhile, futures on the S&P 500 Index (SPX) are modestly higher, as the index shoots for another intraday high later today. 

Also boosting investor sentiment this morning is the latest gross domestic product (GDP) reading, which surged 6.4% in the first quarter.  Plus, initial jobless claims came in at a new pandemic-low of 553,000 for the week, though the figure was still higher than the 540,000 claims Wall Street was anticipating.

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

• Could this be the end of the road for Goodyear stock?
• More on Microvision stock's record high.
• Plus, unpacking Apple's blowout quarter; digital spending boosting Facebook; and McDonald's same-store sales.

5 Things You Need to Know Today

1. The Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE) saw more than 1.5 million call contracts traded on Wednesday, and 690.856 put contracts. The single-session equity put/call ratio fell to 0.43 and the 21-day moving average dropped to 0.46.
2. Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) is up 2.7% before the bell, after the tech giant posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings and revenue. The company attributed the strong results to higher demand for its new 5G iPhone, and increased its buyback plan by $90 billion. However, Apple said the global ship shortage could negatively impact its business. Year-over-year AAPL is up 90%.
3. Another Big Tech name surpassing analysts' quarterly expectations is Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ:FB),which is up 8.1% ahead of the open. The company's earnings and revenue came in above estimates, thanks to a surge in digital ad spending. Still, Facebook warned Apple's (AAPL) new privacy policies could hurt its ad revenue this year. FB is set to open at a new record high this morning.
4. The shares of McDonald's Corp (NYSE:MCD) were last seen up 0.3% in electronic trading, after the fast food chain reported a quarterly earnings and revenue win. The impressive results are a result of a 13.6% increase in U.S. same-store sales, which was also above estimates.

5. Today also brings pending home sales data.

European Markets Higher on Upbeat Economic Sentiment

Stocks in Asia were mostly higher after the Fed decision in the U.S., and investors eyed Apple (AAPL) suppliers following the company’s blowout report. However, the South Korean Kospi posted a 0.2% loss. Among the winners, Hong Kong's Hang Seng had the best day with a 0.8% win. Meanwhile, China's Shanghai Composite rose 0.5%, and Japan's Nikkei tacked on 0.2%.

Markets are similar in Europe, amid data showing a much better-than-expected euro zone economic sentiment reading for April, as it climbed to 110.3 compared to the previous month's 100.9. The German DAX is slipping midday, down 0.5% at last check, while London's FTSE 100 rises 0.6%, and the French CAC 40 gains 0.5%.

Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) are staring at a 136-point drop this morning, unable to build on yesterday's triple-digit flourish. S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) futures are also firmly in the red, even after Amazon.com's (AMZN) quarterly results came in well above analysts' estimates.

Yesterday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell noted the central bank will need to see sustained inflation at 2% before hiking up interest rates. Meanwhile, fresh personal consumption expenditures data revealed prices have already added 1.8% over the past 12 months.

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

• Buy the dip on CVS stock.
• This agriculture name tends to make big post-earnings moves.
• Plus, Twitter could face a user growth slowdown; more on Amazon.com's blowout report; and why Clorox slashed its full-year forecast.

5 Things You Need to Know Today

1. The Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE) saw more than 1.7 million call contracts traded on Thursday, and 842,877 put contracts. The single-session equity put/call ratio rose to 0.47 and the 21-day moving average stayed at 0.46.
2. Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) is down 12.9% before the bell, despite the company reporting better-than-expected quarterly earnings and revenue. Instead, what is weighing down on the social media concern are its warnings of a potential user growth slowdown, as well as rising expenses. TWTR is up 109% year-over-year.
3. E-commerce behemoth Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is up 1.9% ahead of the open. The company beat quarterly earnings expectations for the fourth straight quarter, and also posted a revenue beat. AMZN is up 46% in the last 12 months.
4. The shares of Clorox Co (NYSE:CLX) were last seen down 4.1% in electronic trading. While the cleaning company's quarterly earnings came in above analysts' estimates, revenue ultimately missed the mark. Additionally, higher commodity and freight costs led Clorox to trim its full-year forecast.

5. Today features the employment cost and consumer sentiment indexes, in addition to the Chicago purchasing managers' index (PMI). Plus, traders will be expecting consumer spending and personal income data.

Asian Markets Fall Despite Stateside Gains

Stocks in Asia closed lower today, despite a positive Thursday from their U.S. counterparts. China's Shanghai Composite ended 0.8% lower, after the country's Purchasing Manager's Index fell to 51.1 in April from the previous month's 51.9. The South Korean Kospi and Japan's Nikkei also fell 0.8%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng had the worst day with a 2% drop.

In Europe, shares are mixed at midday after economic data for the region showed gross domestic product falling by 0.6% for the region, marking the second-straight quarter of contractions. France's economy, however, grew by 0.4% this quarter, and its consumer spending jumped by 0.3%. Still, the French CAC 40 is down 0.2% at last check, while London's FTSE 100 and the German DAX are up 0.07% and 0.3%, respectively.