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The Dow is lower ahead of today's busy economic schedule
It looks like U.S. equities are poised to start the second quarter on a bearish note, with futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) lower ahead of the open as yesterday's selling pressure continues. It'll be a busy day on the Street, with a slew of economic data on tap, including auto sales and ADP's employment report. Also, traders will welcome a new name, as GoDaddy Inc (NYSE:GDDY) begins trading today.
- Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White explains how tomorrow's S&P 500 close could set the stage for the rest of 2015.
- This athletic apparel name has been a long-term outperformer -- but now bears are calling a top.
- For a second straight day, Tesla partnership rumors drove speculative players straight to SolarCity Corp (NASDAQ:SCTY).
And now, on to the numbers...
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) are roughly 43 points below fair value.
Market Statistics
The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 663,299 call contracts traded on Tuesday, compared to 433,090 put contracts. The resultant single-session equity put/call ratio rose to 0.65, while the 21-day moving average edged up to 0.66.
Currencies and Commodities
- The U.S. dollar index nudged 0.05% higher to 98.40.
- Crude oil is down 0.2% at $47.50 per barrel.
- Gold has added 0.1% at $1,184.70 per ounce.
Earnings and Economic Data
April Fools' Day is no joke this year, as the calendar features motor vehicle sales, the ADP employment report, construction spending, the Markit PMI, the Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) manufacturing index, and weekly crude inventories. Plus, there will be speeches from San Francisco Fed President John Williams and Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart. Acuity Brands (AYI) and Monsanto (MON) will flex their earnings muscle. To see what else is on this week's agenda, click here.
Overseas Trading
Stocks in Asia were a mixed bag once again. On one hand, China's Shanghai Composite surged 1.7%, after two key reports on factory activity topped consensus estimates, but indicated ongoing softness in the mainland economy. Also finishing with a gain was Hong Kong's Hang Seng, tacking on 0.7%. However, South Korea's Kospi fell 0.6%, while Japan's Nikkei gave back 0.9%.
European bourses, though, are all higher, with strong regional manufacturing data to thank. At last check, France's CAC 40 was the biggest gainer, boasting a 1.2% lead. Germany's DAX has picked up 0.9%, with London's FTSE 100 adding 0.7%.
Unusual Put and Call Activity:
For an explanation of how to use this information, check out our Education Center topics on Option Volume and Open Interest Configurations.