Dow stocks at 52 week highs include Microsoft (MSFT).There are no Dow stock 52 week lows

The Market

Premarket today, the Dow was indicated to open up +30 points.

Wednesday, the Dow was down -50.57 (-0.28%) at 17,867.58.

Year-to-date the Dow is up +0.25%.

There were 14 Dow stocks up Wednesday

Dow stock winners Wednesday were led by Merck (MRK) +0.76% and Boeing (BA) +0.69%.

Dow stock losers Wednesday were led by UnitedHealth (UNH) -2.57% and Disney (DIS) -1.98%.

New U.S. applications for unemployment benefits last week recorded their largest increase in eight months. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 276,000 for the week ended Oct. 31, the Labor Department said on Thursday. It was the largest weekly gain since late February. Claims had hovered near 42-year lows for much of October. The prior week’s claims were unrevised. It was the 35th straight week that claims were below the 300,000 threshold normally associated with a strong jobs market. Economists had forecast claims rising to 262,000 last week. The four-week moving average of claims rose 3,500 to 262,750 last week.

European stocks are mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed.

The national average price of gasoline is up 1.4 cents at $2.213 per gallon. Gas at the local Gig Harbor Costco has jumped to $2.22 per gallon.

Earnings Reports.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) will reports earnings on 10/13/2015 before the market open.

JPMorgan (JPM) reports earnings on 10/13/2015 after the market close.

Intel (INTC) reports earnings on 10/13/2015 after the market close.

Goldman Sachs (GS) reports earnings on 10/15/2015 before the market open.

UnitedHealth (UNH) reports earnings on 10/15/2015 before the market open.

General Electric (GE) reports earnings on 10/16/2015 before the market open.

IBM (IBM) reported earnings on 10/19/2015 after the market close of $3.34, above consensus of $3.30.

Travelers (TRV) reported earnings on 10/20/2015 before the market open of $2.93, higher than consensus of $2.26..

United Technologies (UTX) reports earnings on 10/20/2015 before the market open.

Verizon (VZ) reports earnings on 10/20/2015 before the market open.

Boeing (BA) reports earnings on 10/21/2015 before the market open.

Coca Cola (KO) reports earnings on 10/21/2015 before the market open.

American Express (AXP) reports earnings on 10/21/2015 after the market close.

Caterpillar (CAT) reports earnings on 10/22/2015 before the market open.

McDonald’s (MCD) reports earnings on 10/22/2015 before the market open.

3M (MMM) reports earnings on 10/22/2015 before the market open.

Microsoft (MSFT) reports earnings on 10/22/2015 after the market close.

Procter & Gamble (PG) reports earnings on 10/23/2015 before the market open.

Dupont (DD) reports earnings on 10/27/2015 before the market open.

Merck (MRK) reports earnings on 10/27/2015 before the market open.

Chevron (CVX) reports earnings on 10/30/2015 before the market open.

Exxon Mobil (XOM) reports earnings on 10/30/15 before the market open.

Pfizer (PFE) reports earnings on 10/27/2015 before the market open.

Disney (DIS) reports earnings on 11/5/2015 after the market close.

Visa (V) reports earnings on 11/2/2015 before the market open.

Today’s Featured Dow Stock

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) is down -2.52% year-to-date.

Financial Calendar

0700 ET Oct Challenger job cuts, Sep +93.2% y/y.

0830 ET Weekly initial unemployment claims expected +2,000 to 262,000, previous +1,000 to 260,000. Weekly continuing claims expected -4,000 to 2.140 million, previous -37,000 to 2.144 million.

0830 ET Q3 non-farm productivity expected -0.3%, Q2 +3.3%. Q3 unit labor costs expected +2.5%, Q2 -1.4%.

0830 ET USDA weekly Export Sales.

0830 ET Fed Vice Chair Stanley Fischer, New York Fed President William Dudley and IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde speak at a workshop on reforming culture and behavior in the financial services industry.

1330 ET Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart speaks to the Joint Central Bank Conference in Bern, Switzerland.