Stock Futures Rise as Earnings Dominate Again
Microsoft's strong report is helping the Dow
Investors are again monitoring a heavy dose of corporate earnings this morning. Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) futures are getting a boost thanks to well-received reports from Microsoft (MSFT) and Dow (DOW), which are overshadowing pre-market losses for 3M (MMM). While there is some economic data to consider today, including this morning's weekly jobless claims number that showed an unexpected drop in Americans filling for unemployment benefits, there are many other major earnings reports to watch -- most notably Amazon.com's (AMZN) post-close release. As of now, though, futures on S&P 500 Index (SPX) are also pointing to a risk-on session for stocks.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
Beyond Meat traders eye key level. The tech stock that got crushed on Wednesday. Plus, semiconductor stock rises post-earnings; Ford shares fall; and Tesla crushes expectations. 
5 Things You Need to Know Today
The Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 956,983call contracts traded on Wednesday, compared to 660,252 put contracts. The single-session equity put/call ratio rose 0.69, while the 21-day moving average was 0.70. One notable earnings winner this morning is Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX), as the maker of semiconductor production equipment topped analysts' profit estimates. LRCX shares were already up 71% year-to-date, and are set to open up almost 7% this morning. Another name pulling back after earnings is Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), with the company disappointing investors with its full-year forecast. Ford also issued a sharp drop in sales in China. Ford shares are down almost 4% before the open. Fellow automaker Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is going the other direction post-earnings, surging almost 18% after the company's surprise quarterly profit, which was driven by much better-than-expected gross margins. The pre-market move would have TSLA trading right near the $300 level again. Today features durable goods orders, new home sales, and the Fed's balance sheet. There will be earnings from Intel (INTC), Visa (V), Alaska Airlines (ALK), Allegiant Travel (ALGT), American Airlines (AAL), Citrix Systems (CTXS), Cypress Semiconductor (CY), Gilead Sciences (GILD), Hershey (HSY), Juniper Networks (JNPR), Northrop Grumman (NOC), Raytheon (RTN), Southwest Airlines (LUV), T-Mobile (TMUS), Tractor Supply (TSCO), and VeriSign (VRSN).
Asian Equities Rise
Most Asian markets gained ground today, as traders digested a raft of economic and earnings reports. Japan's Nikkei hit a new annual high in intraday action before settling up 0.6%, as a surge in tech stocks offset data that showed factory activity fell to a three-year low in October. Elsewhere in the region, Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.9%, and South Korea's Kospi gained 0.2% as SK Hynix stock popped on the chipmaker's third-quarter profit beat -- overshadowing a lower-than-expected reading on third-quarter gross domestic product. China's Shanghai Composite couldn't follow through with a win, though, settling the session down 0.02%.
Stocks in Europe are higher at midday, with all eyes on European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi's final press conference, with International Monetary Fund (IMF) President Christine Lagarde stepping into the role next week. Earlier, the ECB stood pat on its current monetary policy, as expected. Investors are also weighing a round of purchasing managers index (PMI) data, with Markit's flash services and manufacturing PMIs for the eurozone coming in slightly below estimates. At last check, London's FTSE 100 is up 0.9%, the German DAX is 0.6% higher, and the French CAC 40 is flirting with a 0.4% lead.