Stock Futures In the Red as Election Day Kicks Off
U.S and China continue to sound upbeat about trade talks
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI), S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) are cautiously lower today, as investors prepare for Election Day across the country. The midterm elections could have a big impact on markets, as voters decide on the balance of power in Congress. Elsewhere, trade relations between the U.S. and China took a positive turn, after Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan said the country was ready to discuss an "acceptable" solution for both sides. As far as economic data today, the Labor Department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) will be in focus after its release at 10 a.m. ET.
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Big SPY strikes could spark major stock moves, per Schaeffer's Senior V.P. of Research Todd Salamone.Twilio options traders lean bearish as earnings loom.The biotech stock destroyed after suspending a study.Plus, Mylan toasts an earnings beat; Avis Budget slides post-earnings; and Amazon nears HQ2 decision. 
5 Things You Need to Know Today
The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 852,962 call contracts traded on Monday. This is compared to 518,337 put contracts. The single-session equity put/call ratio fell to 0.61, and the 21-day moving average slid to 0.67. Mylan NV (NASDAQ:MYL) stock is up 8.9% in electronic trading, after the drugmaker reported third-quarter earnings that topped expectations. BofA-Merrill Lynch responded by upgrading MYL to "buy" from "neutral," but trimmed its price target to $42. MYL shares fell to an annual low of $30.33 on Oct. 25, but are on track to retake their 20-day moving average for the first time since September. On the other end of the spectrum is Avis Budget Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CAR), down 6.6% ahead of the bell, after the rental car name reported third-quarter earnings and revenue below analyst expectations. CAR shares had rallied off their Oct. 29 low of $26.97, but were contained by their 30-day moving average.Shares of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) are down 0.6% in electronic trading, after the e-commerce giant reportedly decided to split its second headquarters evenly between two locations; Long Island City, N.Y., and Arlington, Va. October was a brutal month for AMZN, but the FAANG name recently flashed a bullish signal.Earnings season picks up with a slew of quarterly reports, including Axon Enterprise (AAXN), Bausch Health (BHC), CVS Health (CVS), Eli Lilly (LLY), Etsy (ETSY), Glu Mobile (GLUU), GoDaddy (GDDY), Match Group (MTCH), Papa John's (PZZA), Ralph Lauren (RL), Tableau Software (DATA), Twilio (TWLO), Wendy's (WEN), and Zillow (ZG).
Asian Stocks Get Midterm Boost, Europe Lower On Inflation Data
It was a mostly higher finish in Asia today, with traders upbeat ahead of the U.S. midterm election. Japan's Nikkei tacked on 1.1%, even as a strong day for pharmaceutical stocks offset a post-earnings slump for SoftBank. Hong Kong's Hang Seng and South Korea's Kospi also finished in positive territory, adding 0.7% and 0.6%, respectively. China's Shanghai Composite resumed its downtrend, though, shedding 0.2%.
European markets are lower at midday, after the IHS Markit manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) for the eurozone fell to 53.1 last month -- its lowest reading since September 2016. At last check, London's FTSE 100 is off 1%, the French CAC 40 is down 0.5%, and the German DAX is flirting with a 0.4% loss, even as factory orders unexpectedly rose for a second straight month in September.