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Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart will give a speech this afternoon
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:DJI) is sitting slightly higher ahead of the bell, after Fed Chair Janet Yellen -- who concluded her two-day congressional testimony yesterday -- reassured investors that an interest rate hike is not imminent. On a related note, traders are looking forward to a speech from another central bank official today -- Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart, who will address monetary policy this afternoon. Elsewhere, a number of economic reports will hit the Street, including the latest durable goods and jobless claims numbers.
And now, on to the numbers...
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) are more than 9 points above fair value.
Market Statistics
The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 1.07 million call contracts traded on Wednesday, compared to 684,344 put contracts. The resultant single-session equity put/call ratio jumped to 0.64, while the 21-day moving average held at 0.63.
Currencies and Commodities
- The U.S. dollar index has edged 0.1% higher to 94.35.
- Crude oil, after snapping its losing streak yesterday, has dropped 1.1% to trade at $50.42 per barrel.
- Gold is up 1.4% at $1,218.10 per ounce.
Earnings and Economic Data
Traders will react today to the latest reports on durable goods and jobless claims, along with the consumer price index (CPI). Around midday, Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart will take the podium at a banking conference. Among the day's earnings reporters are 3-D Systems (DDD), Monster Beverage (MNST), Sears (SHLD), Crocs (CROX), Cyberonics (CYBX), Gap (GPS), Gogo (GOGO), Herbalife (HLF), Kohl's (KSS), J.C. Penney (JCP), Mobileye (MBLY), OmniVision Technologies (OVTI), Seadrill (SDRL), SeaWorld (SEAS), Splunk (SPLK), and Weight Watchers (WTW). To see what else is on this week's agenda, click here.
Overseas Trading
Stocks in Asia ended the day higher, thanks to a strong performance by financial names across the region. China's Shanghai Composite led the way with a 2.2% win, as brokerages and banks surged. Meanwhile, Japan's Nikkei advanced 1.1% to close at another 15-year high, helped by reports the government may loosen investment restrictions for bank holding companies. Elsewhere, Hong Kong's Hang Seng and South Korea's Kospi added 0.5% and 0.1%, respectively.
European indexes are largely in the green around midday, following the release of better-than-expected jobless figures out of Germany. Specifically, unemployment in the country fell to its lowest point since December 1991. At last check, the German DAX and French CAC 40 are up 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively, while London's FTSE 100 is flirting with breakeven.
Unusual Put and Call Activity:
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