The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) extended its fall rally
to three weeks in a row last week, despite the blue chip barometer
faltering on Friday ahead of the Group of 20 (G-20) finance
ministers meeting. However, with G-20 officials agreeing to avoid
currency devaluations, bulls appear to have returned to Wall
Street. Specifically, futures on the DJIA and the S&P 500 Index
(SPX) are trading roughly 65 points and 8.5 points above fair
value, respectively. The Dow continues to battle short-term
resistance at the 11,150 level, though support is firming in the
11,100 area. The DJIA is also staring up at the round-number 11,200
level, and its 2010 high at 11,258.01. The SPX, meanwhile, has
short-term support at 1,180, with resistance in the 1,190-1,195
region.
On the earnings front, RadioShack Corp. (
RSH
) reported that its third-quarter profit rose 23% to $46 million,
or 37 cents per share, as sales added 6.5% to $1.05 billion.
Same-store sales rose 6.2%. Analysts were looking for earnings of
35 cents per share on sales of $1.03 billion.
Elsewhere, Office Depot (
ODP
) said that Chairman and CEO Steve Odland will resign on Nov. 1.
Neil Austrian will serve as interim CEO and chairman while the
board searches for a replacement. The company also said that it
expects third-quarter earnings of 3 cents per share on revenue of
$2.9 billion. The consensus is currently expecting a third-quarter
loss of 2 cents per share on revenue of $2.9 billion.
Finally, General Electric Co. (
GE
) won a $750 million contract to expand an electric power station
in Andhra Pradesh, India. The deal includes the sale of six Frame
9FA gas turbines, three D-11 steam turbines, training, and
long-term services. "This will represent the largest gas turbine
combined-cycle project in India's history and will help the country
meet its continuing demand for reliable electricity to support its
rapidly growing economy," GE said.
Earnings Preview
On the earnings front, M/I Homes Inc. (
MHO
), Sohu.com Inc. (
SOHU
), Atheros Communications Inc. (ATHR), SL Green Realty Corp. (SLG),
and Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN) will release their quarterly
reports today. Keep your browser at
SchaeffersResearch.com
for more news as it breaks.
Economic Calendar
September's existing home sales arrive today, while the
Case-Shiller home price index for August and October's consumer
confidence index are on tap for tomorrow. On Wednesday, September's
durable goods orders, September's new home sales, and the weekly
report on U.S. petroleum supplies are slated for release. Thursday
offers up the usual report on weekly initial jobless claims, while
Friday rounds out the week with an advance look at third-quarter
gross domestic product, October's Chicago purchasing managers'
index, and the final reading for the October University of Michigan
consumer sentiment index.
Market Statistics
Equity option activity on the Chicago Board Options Exchange
(CBOE) saw 967,911 call contracts traded on Friday, compared to
669,035 put contracts. The resultant single-session put/call ratio
arrived at 0.69, while the 21-day moving average rose to 0.60.
**The volume data shown above is from the Nasdaq and NYSE
exchanges only. It does not include regional volume activity,
which means that other daily volume quotes you see may be
higher.**
Overseas Trading
Overseas trading is in solid shape this morning, with eight of
the 10 foreign indexes that we track in positive territory. The
cumulative average return on the collective stands at a gain of
0.56%. Expectations for additional quantitative easing from the
U.S. Federal Reserve and high hopes for strong quarterly corporate
earnings provided lift for Asia, with traders finally returning to
the table in the wake of the G-20 meeting. However, strength in the
Japanese yen forced exporters lower. Across the pond in Europe,
strong earnings and soaring metals prices are providing a bullish
bias across the region.
Currencies and Commodities
With the G-20 meeting failing to come up with any firm policies
or resolutions, the U.S. dollar resumed its decline versus most of
its foreign competitors. The Japanese yen proved especially strong,
rallying to a fresh 15-year zenith versus the greenback. At last
check, the U.S. Dollar Index was down 0.76% at 76.89. Both gold and
crude futures received a boost from the falling dollar, with gold
jumping $18.40 to $1,343.50 an ounce in London, while the December
crude contract has soared 88 cents to $82.57 per barrel in
electronic trading.
Unusual Put and Call Activity:
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