Stocks that are expected to trade actively in U.S. markets on Thursday include: Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO), NetApp Inc. (NASDAQ:NTAP), Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) and Kohl’s Corporation (NYSE:KSS).
Market Level
U.S.: DJIA 15821.63 (0.45%), S&P 500 1,782.00 (0.81%), NASDAQ 3,965.58 (1.16%).
Europe: FTSE 6,685.83 (0.84%), DAX 9,136.78 (0.90%), CAC 40 4,279.51 (0.93%).
Asia Pacific: NIKKEI 14876.41 (2.12%), SHANGHAI 2,100.51 (0.60%), HSI 22649.15(0.82%), ASX 200 5,355.43 (0.68%), KOSPI 1967.56 (0.20%).
Commodities: Oil 93.72 (-0.17%), NAT GAS 3.541 (-0.70%), Gold 1,282.90 (1.14%), Silver 20.745 (1.48%), Wheat 650.50 (0.77%), Corn 430.50 (0.17%).
Currency: EUR/USD 1.3444 (-0.30%), GBP/USD 1.6008 (-0.30%), USD/JPY 99.86 (0.64%).
10 year Treasury bond: 2.723 (-0.222).
Market & Economic Update
U.S. market may open higher: U.S. stock futures were up on Thursday. Dow Jones industrial average index futures gained 0.3%, and Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures rose 0.3%. Nasdaq index futures were down 0.2%. Yesterday, S&P 500 index gained 0.8 % to 1,782 while DOW jumped 0.5% to 15,821.63, whereas NASDAQ rose 1.2% to 3,965.58
European market Up: FTSEurofirst 300 Index gained 0.9% at 0836 GMT while Euro STOXX 50 was at 3050.18 points, up 1% as Janet Yellen, Federal Reserve’s incoming chair, hinted that stimulus measures will be rolled back this year.
Asian markets also rose: The gentle words from Janet Yellen, Federal Reserve Vice Chairman, and data showing better GDP growth for the Japanese economy in the fourth quarter helped the Nikkei gain 2.1% or 309.25 points to 14,876.41 on Thursday, its highest close since May 22. The Hang Seng Index rose 0.8% to 22,649.2 points on Thursday recovering from its two month low. The rise was primarily due to the strong quarterly earnings reported by Tencent Holdings, a Chinese Internet Giant and Shandong Weigao Group, the health care equipment provider.
Stocks To Watch
Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA)
The Tesla Motors plant in Fremont, Caif witnessed an accident where three of its workers were injured by hot metal, on Wednesday. The officials gave no specific details on the condition of the workers, but assured that the injured are getting the best treatment. Tesla shares were up 0.4% in after hours of trading.
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)
Cisco Systems, on Wednesday, reported a decrease in its quarterly profit to $2 billion or 37 cents a share compared to a year earlier, where the number was $2.1 billion or 39 cents a share. The company beat analyst projections of 51 cents a share. The shares of the company lost 2.6% in after hours of trading.
NetApp Inc. (NASDAQ:NTAP)
NetApp Inc. announced an increase in the second quarter profit to 48 cents, against 30 cents a share in the corresponding quarter of last year. Moreover, the company surpassed the 62 cents a share analysts estimate with an earnings of 66 cents. In after hours of trading, shares of the company fell 0.2%.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT)
A FactSet report expects Wal-Mart to announce third quarter earnings of $1.13 a share. Analysts believe that investors should not be too optimistic on the retailer going into the fourth quarter owing to reasons such as food stamp spending cuts and economic hardships for mid- and low-end consumers.
Kohl’s Corporation (NYSE:KSS)
Kohl’s Corporation is prepared to show impressive quarterly results, believes analyst Richard Jaffe at Stifel Nicolaus. Kohl’s is expected to report earnings of 86 cents a share for the third quarter.
