Dow stock Cisco Systems is set to slide after earnings
Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) futures are trading well below fair value, pointing to an extended
stock sell-off, as investors continue to worry the ongoing drama out of Washington could hinder President
Donald Trump's agenda. What's more, Dow stock
Cisco Systems is down sharply in pre-market trading after a weak earnings outlook, though fellow blue chip Walmart topped earnings expectations. Elsewhere, weekly jobless claims came in lower than expected at 232,000, while the Philly Fed Index jumped to 38.8 in May. Looking ahead, Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester will speak in the afternoon.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
- How VIX options traders played the stock market's worst day in months.
- 3 bank stocks that got crushed yesterday.
- Why analysts are "moving to the sideline" on AMD stock.
- Plus, Alibaba revenue surges; more bull notes for Shake Shack; and a retail stock flirting with new highs.
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) are nearly 46 points below fair value.
5 Things You Need to Know Today
- The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 1.2 million call contracts traded on Wednesday, compared to 851,371 put contracts. It was the heftiest call volume since mid-March, and the most puts traded since September. The resultant single-session equity put/call ratio jumped to 0.73, while the 21-day moving average stayed at 0.64.
- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA) this morning posted a 60% increase in quarterly revenue, but earnings fell short of analysts' expectations. BABA stock is edging lower in pre-market trading, but this comes after a huge run up on the charts, with the shares gaining 52% year-over-year, and hitting a record high of $124.34 on May 16.
- Restaurant stock Shake Shack Inc (NYSE:SHAK) is up 1.6% in electronic action, thanks to an upgrade to "outperform" from "neutral" at Wedbush. Analysts have been warming to SHAK stock recently, which has jumped almost 21% since its March 15 low of $30.36.
- Childrens Place Inc (NASDAQ:PLCE) is on pace to open 11.6% higher, thanks to strong first-quarter results. The shares gapped higher after the company's last earnings release, and today's move could have them testing record-high territory. At yesterday's close of $111.60, Children's Place stock is up 57% during the past 12 months.
- Gap (GPS), New York & Co. (NWY), Perry Ellis (PERY), Ralph Lauren (RL), Ross Stores (ROST), and Salesforce.com (CRM) will also report earnings today.
Overseas Trading
Asian markets followed their U.S. counterparts into the red amid an increasingly chaotic political backdrop in D.C. In Japan, a surging yen overshadowed a better-than-expected reading on first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP), sending the Nikkei down 1.3%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gave back 0.6%, while China's Shanghai Composite closed 0.5% lower and South Korea's Kospi shed 0.3%.
European stocks are trading lower at midday, with bank shares among the biggest decliners on concern Trump's proposed fiscal policies will be shelved for the time being. London's FTSE 100 was last seen down 1.1%, as the pound rose following a sharp bounce in retail sales last month. Elsewhere, the French CAC 40 is flirting with a 1% loss -- even after the country's unemployment rate fell to a five-year low in the first quarter -- and the German DAX is off 0.7%.