President Trump will give a speech on drug prices today
Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) futures are trading above fair value this morning, with the blue-chip index set to add to yesterday's inflation-fueled upside. The Dow has its sights set on a seventh straight win, which would mark its longest winning streak since November. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), meanwhile, appears headed for its fifth consecutive weekly loss -- which would be its lengthiest since early August 2016.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
- Rare win streak points to bigger gains for Apple stock.
- This burger chain that helped options traders bank big bucks.
- Cardinal Health stock got a boost ahead of Trump's drug price speech today.
- Plus, Dropbox lower despite earnings beat; Mosaic secures key upgrade; and crypto-miners concern NVDA investors.
5 Things You Need to Know Today
- The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 1.1 million call contracts traded on Thursday, compared to 565,811 put contracts. The single-session equity put/call ratio fell to 0.51, while the 21-day moving average slipped to 0.63.
- Dropbox Inc. (NASDAQ:DBX) stock is down 1.4% ahead of the bell, despite the software company reporting first-quarter earnings and revenue that surpassed analyst expectations. In addition, four brokerages issued price-target hikes, including Canaccord Genuity to $36. This was Dropbox's first earnings report since its initial public offering (IPO) on March 22, which priced the shares at $21 apiece. DBX closed last night at $32.00.
- Mosaic Co (NYSE:MOS) stock is up 1.6% ahead of the bell, after receiving an upgrade to "outperform" at RBC, as well as a price-target bump to $32. The agricultural company also announced changes to its executive board of directors. Mosaic stock pulled back in mid-March, but took a sharp bounce off its 200-day moving average in early April.
- Shares of Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) are down 2% in electronic trading, despite the chipmaker reporting first-quarter earnings and revenue that topped Wall Street forecasts. Despite receiving no fewer than 14 price-target hikes this morning, concerns over the demand for NVDA chips from cryptocurrency miners is pushing the stock lower. Nevertheless, Nvidia stock has gained 34% in 2018, and scored a record high of $260.50 yesterday.
-
Import and export prices rose 0.3% in April, compared to the 0.5% estimate. Later today, President Donald Trump will give a speech about drug prices, while St. Louis Fed President James Bullard will also speak ahead of next week's busy slate of Fed speakers. Traders will also see the latest University of Michigan consumer sentiment index.
Asian Markets Boosted By Inflation Data
Stocks in Asia finished today mostly higher. Traders in the region digested tamer-than-expected inflation data from the U.S., while oil fell from recent highs. Hong Kong's Hang Seng locked in a fifth straight win and finished up 1%, led by bank stocks. Tech outperformance pushed Japan's Nikkei 1.2% higher, and South Korea's Kospi up 0.6% for the day. China's Shanghai Composite ended down 0.4%.
European markets are mixed in afternoon trading. Basic resources are among the top performers, thanks to well-received earnings from Luxembourg-based steel giant ArcelorMittal. London's FTSE 100 is up 0.03%, Germany's DAX has shed 0.2%, and France's CAC 40 is 0.3% lower at last glance.