Dow stocks at 52 week highs includes Cisco (CSCO), Merck (MRK), Travellers (TRV), Visa (V) and 3M (MMM). There are no Dow stock 52 week lows.

The Market

Premarket today, the Dow was indicated to open up +24 points.

Thursday, the Dow closed up +102.75 (+0.58%) at 17,879.55.33.07 (+0.18%) at 17,912.62.

Year-to-date the Dow is up +7.98%.

There were 12 Dow stock winners Thursday.

Dow stock winners Thursday include Microsoft (MSFT)+1.58% and Procter & Gamble (PG) +0.64%.

Dow stock losers Thursday include Chevron (CVX) -1.26% and UnitedHealth (UNH) -1.12%.

The Labor Department today reported nonfarm payrolls surged by 321,000 last month, the most since January of 2012. The unemployment rate held steady at a six-year low of 5.8 percent. Data for September and October were revised to show 44,000 more jobs created than previously reported. Economists had forecast payrolls increasing by only 230,000 last month.

Average hourly earnings rose by 9 cents in November, which left them up 2.1 percent from a year ago. That is still well below the increase of 3 percent or more that economists say would make the Fed comfortable lifting benchmark overnight rates from near zero, where they have been since December 2008.

European stocks are higher and Asian markets ended mostly higher.

The national average price of gasoline is down 1.7 cents at $2.711 per gallon.

Earnings Reports.

There are no Dow stocks set to report earnings in the near term.

Notable earnings reports from Thursday include:

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (BKS) reported second quarter EPS of $0.12 on revenue of $1.69 billion, compared to last year’s EPS of $0.15 on revenue of $1.73 billion.

Kroger (KR) reported third-quarter EPS of $0.69 on revenue of $25 billion, compared to last year’s EPS of $0.53 on revenue of $22.50 billion.

Dollar General (DG) reported third quarter EPS of $0.78 on revenue of $4.72 billion, compared to last year’s EPS of $0.72 on revenue of $4.38 billion.

Sears Holdings (SHLD) reported a third quarter loss of $2.71 per share on revenue of $7.21 billion, compared to last year’s loss of $2.95 per share on revenue of $8.27 billion.

Stocks reporting earnings today include:

Big Lots, Inc. (BIG) reported a third quarter loss of $0.06 per share on revenue of $1.11 billion, compared to last year’s loss of $0.16 per share on revenue of $1.14 billion.

Genesco Inc. (GCO) report third quarter EPS of $1.28 on revenue of $722 million, compared to last year’s EPS of $1.43 on revenue of $666.33 million.

Today’s Featured Dow Stock

American Express Co. (AXP)

American Express Co. (AXP) is up +1.21% year-to-date.

Financial Calendar

0830 ET Nov non-farm payrolls expected +230,000, Oct +214,000. Nov private payrolls expected +225,000, Oct +209,000. Nov manufacturing payrolls expected +15,000, Oct +15,000. Nov unemployment rate expected unch at 5.8%.

0830 ET Nov avg hourly earnings expected +0.2% m/m and +2.1% y/y, Oct +0.1% m/m and +2.0% y/y. Nov avg weekly hours all-employees expected unch at 34.6 hours.

0830 ET Oct trade balance expected -$41.2 billion, Sep -$43.0 billion.

0845 ET Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester gives keynote address at the Office of Financial Research 2014 Financial Stability Conference in Washington D.C.

1000 ET Oct factory orders expected unch, Sep -0.6%.

1445 ET Fed Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer speaks via video to an IMF conference in Washington D.C. on Fiscal Affairs, Past and Future.

1500 ET Oct consumer credit expected +$16.450 billion, Sep +$15.924 billion.