Dow stocks at 52 week highs include Caterpillar (CAT), Chevron (CVX), JPMorgan (JPM) and Merck (MRK).There are no Dow stock 52 week lows.

The Market

Premarket today, the Dow was indicated to open up +90 points.

Wednesday the Dow was up +256.95 (+1.40%) at 18,589.69.

Year-to-date the Dow is up +6.68%.

There were 22 Dow stocks up Wednesday.

The Dow stock winners Wednesday were led by Caterpillar (CAT) +7.70% and Pfizer (PFE) +7.07%.

The Dow stock losers Wednesday were led by Procter & Gamble (PG) -1.75% and Coca Cola (KO) -1.42%.

The Labor Department reported that weekly applications for jobless benefits fell 11,000 to a seasonally adjusted 254,000, down from a three-month high in the previous week. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, ticked up 1,750 to 259,750. Just over 2 million people are receiving unemployment aid, up 18,000 from the previous week.

For Walmart (WMT) shoppers, the post-Thanksgiving Black Friday shopping frenzy starts today, Thursday. After midnight, shoppers who have downloaded the Walmart app can grab some Black Friday specials, including a $79 seven-foot trampoline, an Acer laptop for under $300, and a 65-inch Hitachi 4K Ultra HDTV. The offerings are just a hint of what’s to come. Most of the discounts will become available at 12:01 a.m. Thanksgiving day, with the in-store “doorbuster” specials kicking off at 6 p.m. that evening.

European stocks are mostly higher and Asian markets ended higher.

The national average price of gasoline is down five-tenths of a cent at $2.196 per gallon.

Earnings Reports.

Nike (NKE) reported earnings on 9/27/2016 after the market close of $0.73, beating consensus of $0.556 per share.

JPMorgan (JPM) reported earnings on 10/17/2016 before the market open of $1.58, beating estimates calling for $1.401 per share..

IBM (IBM) reported earnings on 10/17/2016 after the market close of $3.29, beating estimates of $3.214 per share.

Goldman Sachs (GS) reported earnings on 10/18/2016 before the market open of $4.88, crushing estimates calling for $3.855 per share.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) reported earnings on 10/18/2016 before the market open of $1.68, beating estimates for $1.646 per share.

Intel (INTC) reported earnings on 10/18/2016 before the market open of $0.80, beating estimates calling for $0.727 per share.

UnitedHealth (UNH) reported earnings on 10/18/2016 before the market open of $2.17, beating estimates of $2.077 per share.

American Express (AXP) reported earnings on 10/19/2016 after the market close of $1.24, beating estimates of $0.963 per share.

Microsoft (MSFT) reported earnings on 10/20/2016 after the market close of $0.76, beating estimates of $0.678 per share.

Verizon (VZ) reported earnings on 10/20/2016 before the market open of $1.01, beating estimates of $0.992 per share.

Travelers (TRV) reported earnings on 10/20/2016 before the market open of $2.40, beating estimates of $2.374 per share.

General Electric (GE) reported earnings on 10/21/2016 before the market open of $0.32, Beating estimates of $0.305 per share.

McDonald’s (MCD) reported earnings on 10/21/2016 before the market open of $1.50, beating estimates of $1.483 per share.

Visa (V) reported earnings on 10/24/2016 before the market open of $0.78, beating estimates calling for $0.729 per share.

Apple (AAPL) reported earnings on 10/25/2016 after the market close of $1.67, barely beating estimates of $1.656 per share.

Procter & Gamble (PG) reported earnings on 10/25/2016 before the market open of $1.03, beating estimates of $0.976 per share.

Merck (MRK) reported earnings on 10/25/2016 before the market open of $1.07, beating estimates of $0.984 per share.

3M (MMM) reported earnings on 10/25/2016 before the market open $2.15, barely beating estimates of $2.144 per share.

United Technologies (UTX) reported earnings on 10/25/2016 before the market open of $1.76, beating estimates calling for $1.68 per share.

Dupont (DD) reported earnings on 10/25/2016 before the market open of $0.34, beating estimates of $0.21 per share.

Caterpillar (CAT) reported earnings on 10/25/2016 before the market open of $0.85, beating estimates calling for $0.748 per share.

Coca Cola (KO) reported earnings on 10/26/2016 before the market open $0.49, barely beating estimates calling for $0.482 per share.

Boeing (BA) reported earnings on 10/26/2016 before the market open of $3.51, smashing estimates calling for $2.62 per share.

Chevron (CVX) reported earnings on 10/28/2016 before the market open of $0.68, beating estimates calling for $0.39 per share.

Exxon Mobil (XOM) reported earnings on 10/28/2016 before the market open of $0.63, beating estimates of $0.595 per share.

Pfizer (PFE) reported earnings on 11/1/2016 before the market open of $0.61, missing estimates calling for $0.62 per share.

Disney (DIS) reports earnings on 11/10/2016 after the market close.

Home Depot (HD) reports earnings on 11/15/2016 before the market open.

Cisco (CSCO) reports earnings on 11/16/2016 after the market close.

Wal-Mart (WMT) reports earnings on 11/17/2016 before the market open.

Today’s Featured Dow Stock

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) is up +17.12% year-to-date.

Financial Calendar

0830 ET Weekly initial unemployment claims expected -5,000 to 260,000, previous +7,000 to 265,000. Weekly continuing claims expected -1,000 to 2.025 million, previous -14,000 to 2.026 million.

0830 ET USDA weekly Export Sales.

0915 ET St. Louis Fed President James Bullard (voter) speaks about the economic outlook at an event in St. Louis.

1100 ET Treasury announces amount of 10-year TIPS to be auctioned Nov 17 (previous $11 billion).

1300 ET Treasury auctions $15 billion of 30-year T-bonds.

1400 ET Oct monthly budget statement expected -$75.0 billion, Sep +$33.359 billion.

n/a Fed Vice Chair Stanley Fischer meets with other central bankers from the Americas at a 2-day conference hosted by the Central bank of Chile on Monetary Policy and Global Spillovers.