The S&P 500 avoids a 3-day losing streak ahead of key earnings

BY THE NUMBERS

U.S. stock futures were little changed this morning. The Dow and S&P 500 managed to wipe out early losses to finish Monday higher, with the S&P 500 avoiding its first three-day losing streak in months. Investors may get focus today from Fed-related speeches and data. (CNBC)

Dow stock Home Depot (HD) was being supported in the premarket by same-store sales that blew past estimates as homeowners shopped to rebuild after a series of devastating hurricanes in the third quarter. Earnings and revenue also exceeded expectations. (CNBC)

General Electric (GE), also a Dow component, was slightly higher in the premarket after suffering its biggest decline since April 2009. On Monday, the company unveiled a turnaround plan as a way to bring back growth. John Flannery, the new Chairman and CEO at GE, joins CNBC at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) shares were surging about 25 percent in the premarket after private equity firm Roark Capital reportedly made a more than $2.3 billion takeover offer. It's not clear how receptive the restaurant chain will be to the more than $150 per share bid. (WSJ)

On today's economic calendar, the October producer price index, out at 8:30 a.m. ET, is expected to rise 0.1 percent on the headline number, with the ex-food and energy core rate up 0.2 percent, after stronger increases in both in September. (CNBC)

Fed Chair Janet Yellen, appearing at a central bank conference in Frankfurt today, said one of the challenges for the U.S. central bank is the multiple members it has and how they interact with the public. The Fed is expected to increase interest rates next month. (CNBC)

IN THE NEWS TODAY

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is set to face a fresh round of questions from lawmakers this morning about the Trump campaign's contacts with Russian officials. Newly disclosed interactions involving Trump campaign advisors raise questions, Democrats say. (WSJ)

In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, the Justice Department said prosecutors are looking into whether a special counsel could be appointed to look into the Clinton Foundation's dealings and an Obama-era uranium deal with Russia. (NY Times)

President Trump's oldest son released a series of previously private messages he received from WikiLeaks and his responses. In the exchanges, WikiLeaks asks Donald Trump Jr. to push its leaks and to release his father's tax returns to the site. (AP)

Trump left the Philippines today without attending an annual East Asia Summit, due to delays in the schedule of the program of meetings. Trump sent Secretary of State Rex Tillerson instead. Trump returns to the U.S. today. (Reuters)

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told the Wall Street Journal that the president would not support any tax reform legislation from the House or Senate with a corporate tax rate of more than 20 percent as part of any future compromise.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell led a chorus of establishment Republicans urging Roy Moore, the party's Senate candidate in Alabama, to quit the race as a fifth woman came forward with allegations that Moore had sexual contact with teenage girls decades ago. (Reuters)

A House committee is set to hold a hearing today on its own sexual harassment training and policy to examine changes proposed by Rep. Jackie Speier, who went public with her own story of harassment from the days when she was a congressional staffer in her 20s. (NBC News)

The female cast members of the popular TV drama "One Tree Hill" reportedly joined with the show's crew to write a letter accusing the former showrunner Mark Schwahn of "traumatizing" sexual harassment on the set of the show. (USA Today)

Goldman Sachs (GS) has written down to zero the value of its stake in The Weinstein Company, the movie studio started by Harvey Weinstein who stepped down last month after sexual assault allegations. (Reuters)

Amazon (AMZN) has agreed to sell parts of its cloud business in China to Beijing Sinnet for up to $301 million. But the U.S. e-commerce giant said it was not exiting the world's second-largest economy. (CNBC)

Apple (AAPL) is exploring a rear-facing 3-D sensor system for the iPhone to be released in 2019, Bloomberg reported today citing people familiar with the matter. The tech would reportedly be different than the sensor found in the iPhone X.

The Food and Drug Administration has for the first time approved a digital pill that can tell doctors whether, and when, patients take their medication. The device could address the longstanding and expensive problem of patients not taking drugs as prescribed. (NY Times)

The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology released new guidelines for high blood pressure, which means tens of millions more Americans will meet the criteria for the condition. (NY Times)

STOCKS TO WATCH

Boeing (BA) has firmed up its order to sell four cargo freighters to Ethiopian Airlines for a total list price of $1.3 billion. The aircraft are expected to be delivered in 2018 and 2019.

Vodafone (VOD) increased its full-year earnings forecast, after the telecom company matched bottom line estimates with its latest results and reported better than expected revenue.

Citrix Systems (CTXS) added $1.7 billion to its common stock buyback authorization. That brings the cloud computing solutions firm's total authorization to more than $2 billion.

Taubman Centers (TCO) has seen Elliott Management amass a "sizable" stake in the shopping center operator, according to a Bloomberg report, though the stake remains below 5 percent.

Wal-Mart (WMT) will operate a flagship store for retail chain Lord & Taylor on its Walmart.com website, with a launch expected in the spring of 2018.

WATERCOOLER

Amazon (AMZN) is bringing J.R.R. Tokien's "The Lord of the Rings" to life as a television series after the online giant acquired the TV rights for the books. The show will be a prequel rather than the story audiences already know. (The Verge)

The new Electronic Arts (EA) "Star Wars" game is still days away from its official launch, but "Battlefront II" and its lofty in-game prices have already provoked outrage among gamers. A developer is even getting death threats. (CNBC)