Stock Futures Extend Gains Despite No Clear Election Winner

Stock futures are pointed higher this morning, extending yesterday's gains, despite the uncertainty that still looms over U.S. presidential election results, which so far have not yielded an official winner. Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) futures are up roughly 350 points, while the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) are aiming for significant gains as well, amid relief that a blue wave in Congress did not come to pass, which could have been problematic for Big Tech.

Elsewhere, investors are still poring over jobless claims data, with first-time claims for unemployment insurance down to 751,000 from 758,000 the week before, but still higher than estimates. Nonetheless, this marks the third consecutive week claims were below 800,000.

Continue reading for more on today's market, including:

• This outperforming pet supply e-tailer has affordable options.
• Chemours stock gained momentum after blowout earnings. 
• Plus, pharmaceutical stock makes billion-dollar acquisition; AstraZeneca expects vaccine data by year-end; and Match Group surges thanks to user growth.

5 Things You Need to Know Today

1. The Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE) saw more than 1.3 million call contracts traded on Wednesday, and 632,053 put contracts. The single-session equity put/call ratio stayed at 0.45 and the 21-day moving average rose to 0.50. 
2.  Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is up 1.3% in pre-market trading, after the pharmaceutical giant announced it would buy VelosBio for $2.75 billion in an all-cash transaction. The deal will help the company further its oncology treatment pipeline. Year-to-date, MRK remains down 11.4%.
3. AstraZeneca plc (NASDAQ:AZN) is up 1.9% before the bell, after the company said it expected to have late-stage trial data for its coronavirus vaccine candidate by the end of the year. The drugmaker also posted a quarterly sales win. Year-over-year, AZN is up 16.8%.
4. The shares of Match Group Inc (NASDAQ:MTCH) are up 6.5% in electronic trading, after the dating concern reported earnings and revenue that beat analysts' estimates. The company attributed the strong results to the pandemic, which helped increase popularity of its dating services, with Tinder's subscribers up 16% from a year prior. Year-over-year, MTCH is up 87.1%.
5. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) announcement, as well as a speech from Fed Chair Jerome Powell are due out today. Also, Alibaba (BABA), New York Times (NYT), Roku (ROKU), Square (SQ), T-Mobile (TMUS), TripAdvisor (TRIP), Uber (UBER), Virgin Galactic (SPCE), and Zillow (ZG) will all step into the earnings confessional.

European, Asian Markets Rise Amid U.S. Election Uncertainty

Stocks in Asia finished significantly higher today, as investors awaited the final results of the U.S. election. Despite the uncertainty surrounding it, shares of tech firms in Asia surged, most notably Alibaba, which helped Hong Kong’s Hang Seng to a 3.3% rise. Meanwhile, South Korea’s Kospi tacked on 2.4%, while Japan’s Nikkei added 1.7%, with Kakao Games and Softbank Group leading the charge, respectively. Rounding out the region, China’s Shanghai Composite grew by 1.3%.

European stocks are trending in the same direction, rising despite the still unclear U.S. election results. The German DAX has so far tacked on 1.7%, as mass media company Prosiebensat.1 and lending giant Commerzbank move in opposite post-earnings directions. France’s CAC 40 has added 1.2%, after banker Societe Generale scored a big revenue beat. Lastly, the London’s FTSE 100 was last seen up 0.7%, after the U.K. central bank held interest rates steady amid new national lockdown measures.