Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) futures are sluggish, but pointed slightly higher this morning. The S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) futures are also flat, after the indexes touched record highs yesterday. Earnings season continues to chug along, while markets await theLabor Department's latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), due out at 10:00 a.m. ET. President Trump's tour of Asia will also be in focus, with the commander-in-chief visiting South Korea today.
Elsewhere, departing Fed Chair Janet Yellen will speak later today. It'll be the first time we hear from Yellen since Trump nominated Fed Governor Jerome Powell as her successor. In addition, Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Randal Quarles will also speak.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
The small-cap options spread we like this week, courtesy of Schaeffer's Senior V.P. of Research Todd Salamone.Breaking down Snapchat's ugly earnings history. Analyst: This drug stock could quintuple.Plus, Red Robin reports earnings; and two travel stocks headed lower.
Crocs (CROX), Dean Foods (DF), Dish Network (DISH), Fossil Group (FOSL), Hain Celestial (HAIN), Halozyme Therapeutics (HALO), LendingClub (LC), Myriad Genetics (MYGN), Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH), Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL), SeaWorld (SEAS), Take-Two Interactive (TTWO), Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX), and Zillow Group (ZG) will report earnings.
The ongoing rise in oil prices led to another upbeat session for Asian stocks. Most notably, Japan's Nikkei rallied 1.7% for its highest close in 26 years, with the energy sector leading the charge. This group also outperformed in China, where the Shanghai Composite ended up 0.8%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng jumped 1.4%. South Korea's Kospi was a negative outlier, however, dipping 0.2%.
The oil rally has failed to boost European equities, though. Lackluster retail sales data out of the U.K. seems to be overshadowing strong housing data, with October home prices rising at the fasting pace since January in October. At last check, the FTSE 100 was down 0.3%. Meanwhile, the French CAC 40 has dipped 0.1% and Germany's DAX is down 0.04%.