Dow Futures Lower, Weekly Gains In Jeopardy
Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) futures are pointed lower this morning, as the blue-chip index attempts to eke out a weekly win. Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) futures, however, are pointing higher this morning, as the index basks in the glow of its record close yesterday. Along with Tesla's (TSLA) semi truck buzz and a handful of well-received retailer earnings, Washington, D.C., will remain in focus.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller reportedly subpoenaed more than a dozen Trump campaign officials recently, regarding Russia's role in the 2016 election. And after the House passed the GOP tax reform bill yesterday, the Senate hopes to pass its own bill as soon as next week. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin today said he expects President Trump to sign a tax reform bill before Christmas.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
2 blue-chip stocks to buy before Black Friday.The FAANG stock seeing frenzied call activity.Analyst: This drug company "overpaid for another asset."Plus, buyers circling Twenty-First Century Fox; the retailer set for its best day in nearly two decades; and red-hot Square gets upgraded. 
5 Things You Need to Know TodayThe Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 1.06 million call contracts traded on Thursday, compared to 687,405 put contracts. The single-session equity put/call ratio dropped to 0.64. The 21-day moving average remained at 0.65.Twenty-First Century Fox Inc (NASDAQ:FOXA) stock is up 7.3% in electronic trading, after reports surfaced that Comcast (CMCSA) and Verizon (VZ) are interested in buying assets from the media company. FOXA has tacked on 18.2% since touching an annual low on Nov. 6, and is on pace to open at its highest point since April.Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE:FL) stock is up nearly 26% ahead of the bell -- set for its best day this millennium -- after the retailer reported third-quarter earnings that topped analyst estimates. However, FL stock is no stranger to volatile earnings reactions, and is on track to trade above $40 for the first time since August.Square Inc (NYSE:SQ) is up 1.7% in electronic trading, after receiving an upgrade to "outperform" at Evercore ISI. The mobile payments stock also received a massive price-target hike, to $51 from $25. SQ stock touched a record high of $41.96 yesterday, and has tacked on over 207% year-to-date.
St. Louis Fed President James Bullard will make his way to the podium today. Housing starts and building permits are also due. Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF), Buckle (BKE), and Hibbett Sports (HIBB) will round out the week's earnings reports.
Overseas Trading
It was a mixed finish in Asia today, following Thursday's breakout session on Wall Street. Hong Kong's Hang Seng outpaced its peers, adding 0.6% after a record-setting day for Tencent. Japan's Nikkei also closed higher, adding 0.2% -- but snapped its nine-week winning streak. On the flip side, China's Shanghai Composite fell 0.5%, while South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.03% as a strengthening won put pressure on exporters.
European markets are modestly higher at midday, as traders mull over a speech from European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi -- who said the central bank needs to be "patient" in normalizing monetary policy -- and digest reports U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller subpoenaed multiple members of President Donald Trump's campaign team. At last check, the German DAX was up 0.1%, the French CAC 40 has tacked on 0.03%, and London's FTSE 100 is 0.02% higher.