What is it? Financial confidence is a leading indicator of consumer spending, which accounts for a majority of overall economic activity.
When? At 10:00am 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? It's a leading indicator of production - rising purchase orders signal that manufacturers will increase activity as they work to fill the orders.
When? At 8:30am Eastern Time.
Trading Tip: If the actual number is higher than the forecast, you can expect the USD to rise.
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1. U.S. stocks were lower in early trading on Monday ahead of this week's Federal Reserve policy meeting and as Apple shares fell a day before it reports quarterly results.
The Fed is not seen raising rates at the two-day meeting but investors will scrutinize its statement on Wednesday for a bearing on when it will pull the trigger.
While Fed Chair Janet Yellen has said the central bank could raise rates this year, it will do so only if there are clear signs of sustained economic growth.
2. New U.S. single-family home sales fell to near a one-year low in September after two straight months of gains, suggesting a temporary cooling in the market for new houses.
The Commerce Department said on Monday sales dropped 11.5percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 468,000 units, the lowest level since November 2014. August's sales pace was revised down to 529,000 units from the previously reported 552,000 units.
3. FOREX - The U.S. dollar slipped lower against its Canadian counterpart on Monday, after the release of disappointing U.S. housing data.
USD/CAD hit 1.3131 during early U.S. trade, the session low; the pair subsequently consolidated at 1.3151, edging down 0.13%.
4. COMMODITIES - The United States is now importing more foreign oil after years of declines. Low oil prices are forcing U.S. producers to scale back operations, leading domestic refineries to boost shipments from countries like Nigeria.
Total U.S. crude oil imports rose for three consecutive months this summer, from 5.6 percent of total imports in April to 11 percent in July, according to the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a federal statistics agency. Until this year, the domestic energy boom had pushed crude imports down 20 percent between 2010 and 2014. But that dynamic is shifting as prices stay low due to an oversupply in global crude, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
5. Drugmaker Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc (TO:VRX) (N:VRX) laid out a detailed defense on Monday of its relationship with a little-known specialty pharmacy, but its arguments failed to calm all investors' concerns.
Valeant's shares were up about 1 percent in New York and Toronto after tumbling as much as 14 percent before normal trading hours. They had plunged 35 percent last week following a critical report by short-seller Citron Research, run by Andrew Left.
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Toyota recaptured the title of world's largest automaker from Volkswagen in the third quarter of 2015, suggesting that the Japanese automaker may retain the title for the full year.
German automaker Volkswagen had seized the top spot through the first six months of the year, edging closer to its long-running goal of becoming the globe's biggest vehicle manufacturer for a full calendar year.
But the goal may prove elusive — especially considering that Volkswagen's emissions scandal was revealed with less than two weeks to go in the third quarter, leaving little time to gauge the full impact at dealerships.
Toyota still dethroned Volkswagen, selling 7.498 million vehicles during the first nine months of the year, a 1.5% decline from the same period in 2014.
Volkswagen sold 7.431 million vehicles during the first nine months of the year, also representing a 1.5% decline.
Now, the fourth quarter reflects a crucial test for Volkswagen, which is facing numerous investigations and a hail of criticism over its installation of manipulative software on 11 million vehicles to cheat emissions tests.
The company has stopped selling the diesel cars involved in the scandal until it can deliver a fix, leaving dealers with a gaping hole in their lineup. That will ding sales, although Volkswagen is expected to discount vehicles to juice sales.
Several years ago, Volkswagen's former CEO, Martin Winterkorn, had charted a goal of becoming the world's largest automaker by 2018.
After the first sixth months of the year, Volkswagen had achieved that goal, outselling Toyota by 5.04 million to 5.02 million.
Meanwhile, General Motors, once the perennial No. 1, is now firmly entrenched in the No. 3. slot. The Detroit-based automaker sold 7.151 million vehicles during the first nine months of the year, down 1.3%.
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Investors can't seem to make up their minds whether to buy or sell following a stunning two-day rally last week.
Here are 4 tips for today's trading. This will help you decide where you should invest and what to look for:
1. Stock market overview
U.S. stock futures are looking a bit weak Monday while most major indexes in Europe are clawing back from early losses.
This follows two consecutive days of big stock market gains after the European Central Bank hinted at more stimulus to come and China's central bank cut rates. premarket stocks trading futures
Click chart for in-depth premarket data.
Chinese stocks moved up a bit Monday as investors got their first chance to react to Friday's rate cut. Other Asian markets ended with mixed results.
2. Earnings in focus
Xerox (XRX) is among a handful of companies reporting earnings before the opening bell.
After the close, investors will hear from another round of companies, including Cheesecake Factory (CAKE), Broadcom (BRCM) and Rent-A-Center (RCII).
3. Market movers
Natural gas, American Express: Natural gas futures are falling by 4% Monday morning to trade around $2.19 per million British thermal units. Prices have declined by nearly a quarter since the start of 2015.
Shares in American Express (AXP) and Symantec (SYMC) are dipping by about 2% in extended trading, which shares in PayPal (PYPL, Tech30) are edging higher.
4. Autos in focus
The United Auto Workers union announced late Sunday that it had reached a tentative agreement with General Motors (GM). The bargaining committee said it "secured significant gains and job security protections," and unanimously agreed to send the proposed agreement to local union leaders for a vote this week.
Volkswagen (VLKAY) has ceded the title of world's top automaker to Toyota (TM) as it struggles to contain an emissions scandal that is likely to dent sales further.
Toyota sold 7.49 million vehicles from January to September, compared to 7.43 million sold by Volkswagen over the same period. Volkswagen had surged past Toyota in the second quarter, but enjoyed just three months as No.1 before stumbling.
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What is it? Export demand and currency demand are directly linked because foreigners must buy the domestic currency to pay for the nation's exports. Export demand also impacts production and prices at domestic manufacturers.
When? At 5:45pm Eastern Time
Trading Tip: If the actual number is higher than the forecast, you can expect the NZD to rise.
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What is it? It's a leading indicator of economic health because the sale of a new home triggers a wide-reaching ripple effect. For example, furniture and appliances are purchased for the home, a mortgage is sold by the financing bank, and brokers are paid to execute the transaction.
When? At 10:00am Eastern Time
Trading Tip: If the actual number is higher than the forecast, you can expect the USD to rise.
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1. U.S. stocks opened higher on Friday after a surprise interest rate cut in China added to a broad rally driven by strong quarterly results from Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon.
China's central bank cut interest rates for the sixth time since November on Friday in another attempt to jumpstart a slowing economy.
"Some of the worst fears associated with China were put to bed at least temporarily," said Ernie Cecilia, chief investment officer of Bryn Mawr Trust.
Global markets rose again, a day after the European Central Bank signaled that it was ready to extend its stimulus plan.
2. China's central bank cut interest rates for the sixth time since November on Friday, and it again lowered the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves in another attempt to jumpstart a slowing economy.
China's monetary policy easing is at its most aggressive since the 2008/09 global financial crisis, underscoring concerns within Beijing about the health of the world's second-largest economy.
3. The euro erased gains against the U.S. dollar on Friday, falling to a two-month lows as hints of additional stimulus measures by the European Central Bank overshadowed the release of positive economic reports from the euro zone earlier in the day.
EUR/USD pulled away from 1.1140, the session high, to hit 1.1023 during U.S. morning trade, declining 0.74%.
The pair was likely to find support at 1.0959, the low of August 11 and resistance at 1.1140, the session high.
The single currency was hit after ECB President Mario Draghi said the central bank will "reexamine" its monetary policy in December, hinting at the possibility for further easing measures.
4. The U.S. dollar rose to three-week highs against its Canadian counterpart on Friday, after the release of disappointing inflation data from Canada and as optimism over the health of the U.S. economy continued to support the greenback.
USD/CAD hit 1.3192 during early U.S. trade, the pair's highest since October 2; the pair subsequently consolidated at 1.3179, climbing 0.66%.
The pair was likely to find support at 1.2930, the low of October 20 and resistance at 1.3176, the high of October 5.
5. New revenue streams such as mobile and video advertising should continue to propel earnings of Google parent Alphabet Inc (O:GOOGL), whose shares were set to open at a record high on Friday following better-than-expected results, analysts said.
The company's search traffic on mobiles surpassed desktop traffic worldwide for the first time in the latest quarter.
Alphabet's shares were up nearly 10 percent at $746.95 in premarket trading, far above the $713.33 record high set by Google - the company's former name - in regular trading in July.
A 10 percent rise equates to about $46 billion in market value. This would give Alphabet a market cap of about $519 billion, cementing its position as the second-most valuable stock after Apple Inc (O:AAPL), worth about $660 billion.
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Against all odds - The rags-to-riches story of Starbucks billionaire Howard Schultz.
Starbucks Chairman and CEO Howard Schultz says he drinks four to five cups of coffee a day.
Thirty years ago, Howard Schultz got into the coffee business with one goal in mind: to enhance the personal relationship between people and their coffee.
He's now responsible for Starbucks, one of the world's most beloved brands, and worth at least $3 billion as chairman and CEO of the Fortune 500 Company. But it wasn't an easy path to the top.
How did Schultz, who came from a "working poor" family in the Brooklyn projects, overcome adversity and grow a quaint Seattle coffeehouse into the largest coffee chain on Earth?
Schultz was born on July 19, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York. In an interview with Bloomberg, he said growing up in the project exposed him to the world's wealth disparity.
He experienced poverty at an early age. When Schultz was 7 years old, his father broke his ankle while working as a truck driver picking up and delivering diapers. At the time, his father had no health insurance or worker's compensation, and the family was left with no income.
In high school, Schultz played football and earned an athletic scholarship to Northern Michigan University. By the time Schultz started college, he decided he wasn't going to play football after all. To pay for school, he took out student loans and worked at various jobs, including working as a bartender and even occasionally selling his blood.
After graduation in 1975, Schultz spent a year working at a ski lodge in Michigan waiting for inspiration. He finally landed a job in the sales training program at Xerox, where he got experience cold-calling and pitching word processors in New York. The work didn't fulfill him, so after three years he left to take a job at Hammarplast, a housewares business owned by a Swedish company called Perstorp.
There, Schultz ascended the ranks to vice president and general manager, leading a team of sales-people out of the US office in New York. It was at Hammarplast that he first encountered Starbucks. The coffee shop had a few stores in Seattle and caught his attention when it ordered an unusually large number of drip coffeemakers.
Intrigued, Schultz traveled to Seattle to meet the company's then owners, Gerald Baldwin and Gordon Bowker. He was struck by the partners' passion and their courage in selling a product that would appeal only to a small niche of gourmet coffee enthusiasts.
A year later, Schultz then 29-year-old finally persuaded Baldwin to hire him as the director of retail operations and marketing. At the time, Starbucks only had three stores, but they were selling pounds of coffee for home use, Schultz said.
Schultz's career as well as Starbucks' fate changed forever when the company sent him to an international housewares show in Milan. While walking around the city, he encountered several espresso bars where owners knew their customers by name and served them drinks like cappuccinos and cafe lattes. Schultz had an "epiphany" the moment he understood the personal relationship that people could have to coffee.
In 1985, Schultz left Starbucks after his ideas to cultivate an Italian-like experience for coffee-lovers was rejected by the founders. He soon started his own coffee company: Il Giornale (Italian for "the daily").
In order to get Il Giornale off the ground, Schultz had to raise more than $1.6 million. "In the course of the year I spent trying to raise money, I spoke to 242 people, and 217 of them said no," he wrote. "Try to imagine how disheartening it can be to hear that many times why your idea is not worth investing in. ... It was a very humbling time."
Schultz spent two years away from Starbucks, wholly focused on opening Il Giornale stores that replicated the coffee culture he'd seen in Italy. In August 1987, Il Giornale bought Starbucks for $3.8 million, and Schultz became CEO of Starbucks Corporation. At the time, there were six stores.
America swiftly took a liking to Starbucks. In 1992, the company went public on the NASDAQ; its 165 stores pulled in $93 million in revenue that year. The world eventually caught on, and by 2000 Starbucks had grown into a global operation of more than 3,500 stores and $2.2 billion in annual revenue.
Starbucks' success made Schultz rich, and in 2001 he demonstrated his growing love for Seattle when he bought the Seattle Supersonics for $200 million. But the investment turned sour as the team struggled and Schultz feuded with players. In 2006, he sold the Sonics to a group of investors that moved the team to Oklahoma City, severely damaging his popularity in Seattle. He later called owning the team "a nightmare."
Running Starbucks came with set-backs, too. In 2008, Schultz temporarily closed 7,100 US stores in order to retrain baristas on how to make the perfect espresso. Over the next two years he led Starbucks' massive turnaround, with profits tripling from $315 million to $945 million by 2010.
As part of the overhaul, Schultz announced that Starbucks would aim to hire 10,000 military veterans and their spouses by 2018. Last year the company announced it would pay for employees' college tuition.
Throughout his career at Starbucks, Schultz has always prioritized his employees, who he calls "partners." Largely because of his father's experience when he was injured, Schultz offers all his employees (including part-time workers) complete health-care coverage as well as stock options.
In the last 28 years, Schultz has grown the coffeemaker to include more than 21,000 stores in 65 countries (ironically, there are none in Italy). "I've always been driven and hungry," Schultz said. "Long after others have stopped to rest and recover, I'm still running, chasing after something nobody else could ever see."
Schultz has parlayed Starbucks' extraordinary success into two books: "Pour Your Heart Into it: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time" (1999) and New York Times bestseller "Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing its Soul" (2012).
As Starbucks has continued to grow — it now has annual sales of more than $16 billion — so has Schultz's fortune. His net worth is estimated to be $3 billion. He revealed in "Pour Your Heart Out" that his tremendous professional success is a tribute to his late father, who "never attained fulfillment and dignity from work he found meaningful."
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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