1. Magnificent tech

Amazon (AMZN, Tech30), Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) and Alphabet (GOOGL, Tech30) (aka Google) all reported impressive quarterly results on Thursday in the late afternoon. Investors are bidding shares much higher in extended trading.

Both classes of Alphabet shares -- GOOG (GOOG) and GOOGL (GOOGL, Tech30) -- are rising by about 10% premarket.

Amazon's stock is also up by about 10% and Microsoft shares are climbing by about 7%.

2. Stock market overview

U.S. stock futures are rising on the back of these earnings results. The tech-heavy Nasdaq index is leading the way forward.

European markets are also rallying in early trading, with many key indexes up by over 1%. This positive momentum comes after the head of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, said Thursday that the bank was examining new ways to tackle deflation and get the economy moving again. The bank could act as early as its next meeting on Dec. 3.

Steps the ECB could take in six weeks' time include cutting interest rates even deeper into negative territory, or increasing the size and scope of its program of quantitative easing -- printing money to buy government bonds and other assets.

The euro weakened significantly in the wake of these comments.

Over in Asia, stock markets all closed the week with gains.

3. Market losers

TalkTalk and Pandora show that yesterday wasn’t a positive day for everyone.

Shares in TalkTalk Telecom Group are dropping by about 10% in London after the company said private data from its four million customers could have been stolen after it experienced a "significant and sustained cyberattack" earlier this week. British police are investigating the case.

Shares in Pandora (P) are taking a massive double-digit drop after the music streaming service posted quarterly results and announced a $90 million settlement with record companies for misusing some pre-1972 music.

4. Earnings

Investors can expect quarterly reports from companies including American Airlines (AAL), Procter & Gamble (PG) Whirlpool (WHR) and Royal Caribbean (RCL) this morning before trading begins.

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Amazon surprised investors (again) on Thursday by posting its second consecutive quarterly profit and also topping revenue estimates in the third quarter.

Shares of Amazon shot up 11% in after-hours trading.

During the quarter, net income surged to $79 million, or 17 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $437 million, or 95 cents per share, a year ago. This beats analyst estimates of a 13 cent loss per share.

Amazon, which is known for playing the long game and sacrificing profits along the way, also delighted investors by posting a rare profit last quarter.

Total revenue increased 23% to $25.4 billion, beating analyst estimates of $24.9 billion. Revenue would have risen 30% if not for currency headwinds.

Helping to drive the rise in revenue was continued strength in its cloud-hosting division, Amazon Web Services. Revenue from the business rose to $2.08 billion, up 78% from a year ago and 14% from last quarter. AWS operating income more than quadrupled.

Looking forward to the fourth quarter, the online retailing juggernaut is forecasting blockbuster performance. It expects revenue between $33.5 billion and $36.75 billion and operating income between $80 million and $1.28 billion.

Behind this forecast are expectations for ”record holiday season.” Amazon has said it expects to hire 100,000 people in North America for seasonal help and that most of the orders shipped should be through an Amazon Prime account.

You can expect Amazon to push its new line of tablets, including the $49 Fire tablet, during gift-giving season. Amazon has used gadgets like these to promote its Prime membership, and earlier this month, even said it will stop selling competing video-streaming devices from Apple and Google.

On the earnings call with analysts and investors, the question arose about whether the company is at a point now where it can deliver consistent profits. The short answer: No promises. “Innovation and investment will continue and could be lumpy over time,” said chief financial officer Brian Olsavsky. “But we’re also working on cost reduction and efficiency.”

Shares of Amazon jumped 11% to $627.39 in after-hours trading Thursday and are up 80% this year. Amazon has trounced the broader market and is one of the year’s best-performing stocks.

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What is it? It's a leading indicator of economic health - businesses react quickly to market conditions, and their purchasing managers hold perhaps the most current and relevant insight into the company's view of the economy.

When? At 9:45am Eastern Time.

Trading Tip: If the actual number is higher than the forecast, you can expect the USD to rise.

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What is it? Consumer prices account for a majority of overall inflation. Inflation is important to currency valuation because rising prices lead the central bank to raise interest rates out of respect for their inflation containment mandate.

When? At 8:30am Eastern Time.

Trading Tip: If the actual number is higher than the forecast, you can expect the CAD to rise.

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1. U.S. stocks opened higher on Thursday after McDonald's and eBay reported strong quarterly results and jobless claims data pointed to improvements in the labor market.

The Dow Jones industrial average (DJI) rose 124.36 points, or 0.72 percent, to 17,292.97, the S&P 500 (SPX) gained 13.57 points, or 0.67 percent, to 2,032.51 and the Nasdaq composite (IXIC) added 39.18 points, or 0.81 percent, to 4,879.30.

2. The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits rose less than expected last week, remaining at levels consistent with a fairly healthy labor market.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 3,000 to a seasonally adjusted 259,000 for the week ended Oct. 17, the Labor Department said on Thursday. They remained not too far from levels last seen in late 1973.

It was the 33rd straight week that claims were below the 300,000 threshold, which is normally associated with a firming jobs market.

3. The euro tumbled to three-week lows against the U.S. dollar on Thursday, after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi hinted at the possibility for further easing measures before the end of the year.

EUR/USD hit 1.1160 during U.S. morning trade, the pair's lowest since October 2; the pair subsequently consolidated at 1.1171, plummeting 1.57%.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.1132, the low of October 1 and resistance at 1.1351, the session high.

4. U.S. home resales rose more than expected in September to the second highest monthly sales pace since February 2007, suggesting the housing market continues to show strength compared to the rest of the economy.

The National Association of Realtors said on Thursday existing home sales increased 4.7 percent to an annual rate of 5.55 million units.

August's sales pace was revised slightly lower to 5.30 million units from the previously reported 5.31 million units.

5. Oil prices rose above $48 a barrel on Thursday, propelled by technical buying and as investors re-evaluated U.S. data that showed falling stockpiles of fuel as well as higher crude inventories.

Brent for December delivery rose 51 cents to $48.36 a barrel by 0656 ET. The global crude benchmark finished down 86 cents, or 1.8 percent, on Wednesday, after hitting $47.50, its lowest since early October.

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Fast food giant McDonald’s reported better than expected third quarter earnings and revenue figures on Thursday, sending its shares higher in pre-market trade.

McDonald’s said earnings per share came in at $1.40 in the three months ended September 30, beating expectations for earnings of $1.28 per share and up from earnings of $1.09 a share in the same period a year earlier.

The company’s third quarter revenue totaled $6.62 billion, above forecasts for sales of $6.41 billion but down 5.3% from revenue of $6.99 billion in the third quarter of 2014.

Global comparable sales increase of 4.0%, reflecting positive comparable sales in all segments.

In the U.S., third quarter comparable sales increased 0.9%, the segment's first quarterly comparable sales increase in two years.

Comparable sales for the International Lead Markets segment increased 4.6% for the third quarter led by strong performance in Australia, the U.K. and Canada and positive results in Germany.

"I am encouraged by our operating performance for the quarter, with positive comparable sales across all segments, including the U.S., as well as sales recovery in China following the prior year supplier issue," said McDonald's (N:MCD) President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Easterbrook.

Immediately after the earnings announcement, McDonald’s shares rallied $6.26, or 6.1%, to hit $109.20 in trading prior to the opening bell compared to Wednesday's closing price of $102.54.

Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures pointed to a higher open. The Dow futures rose 68 points, or 0.4%, the S&P 500 futures tacked on 8 points, or 0.37%, while the Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 20 points, or 0.44%.

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Big earnings day is coming.

Here are 4 tips for today's trading. This will help you decide where you should invest and what to look for:

1. Flood of earnings

A number of important earnings are coming through this morning from 3M (MMM), Caterpillar (CAT), Dunkin' Brands (DNKN), McDonald's (MCD) and Southwest Airlines (LUV).

United Continental (UAL) is also reporting this morning. These are the first results since the new interim CEO took over after CEO Oscar Munoz suffered a heart attack and took a medical leave of absence.

After the closing bell, AT&T (T, Tech30) will post its first results since merging with DirecTV. Google will issue its first results as Alphabet (GOOG). And the markets will hear from Amazon (AMZN, Tech30) and Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30).

In Europe, the parent company for Mercedes-Benz cars -- Daimler (DDAIY) -- reported record sales in the third quarter and strong growth in China. Many other automakers have experienced slower sales in China as the economy slows and the government cracks down on officials who make lavish purchases.

2. Market movers

eBay, Texas Instruments: Solid earnings reports on Wednesday afternoon from Texas Instruments (TXN) and eBay (EBAY) boosted their stock prices in after-hours trading. Both were up nearly 10%.

3. Stock market overview

U.S. stock futures are inching higher ahead of the open. But the mood could change depending on whether investors cheer or boo the latest quarterly results.

European markets are mixed in early trading.

Chinese stock markets closed the day with gains, but most other Asian markets took a dip.

4. Economics

The European Central Bank is announcing its interest rate and monetary policy decisions at 7:45 a.m. ET. It's highly unlikely to make any new moves but many economists think the bank will hint at printing more money in the future to combat deflation in the region.

"Markets seem positioned for a dovish outcome, perhaps via rhetoric setting the stage for stimulus expansion in December," said Ilya Spivak, a currency strategist at DailyFX.

In the U.S., weekly jobless claims figures will come from the federal government at 8:30 a.m. ET.

At 10 a.m., watch for new existing home sales data from September. The last report from the National Association of Realtor showed sales were down 4.8% in August.

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What is it? Although it's generally viewed as a lagging indicator, the number of unemployed people is an important signal of overall economic health because consumer spending is highly correlated with labor-market conditions. Unemployment is also a major consideration for those steering the country's monetary policy.

When? At 8:30am Eastern Time.

Trading Tip: If the actual number is lower than the forecast, you can expect the USD to rise.

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