Dear Valued Trader,

Thank You for your interest in Capital Traders Group. I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to a CTG Open-House seminar at our new state-of-the-art trading and training center located at 11 Broadway, just steps from Battery Park and the infamous Wall St. Bull

We will discuss Market News, Rumors & Opinions, as well as demonstrate and have available demos of our proprietary trading platforms: Fusion, Sterling & Lightspeed. Refreshments and snacks will be served.

Where:  11 Broadway, Suite 1515

                New York, NY 10004

When:  Thursday, April 12, 2012 at 6:00 PM

RSVP:  Adam.Watson@CapitalTradersGroup.com

                                OR

Call us at 646-36-TRADE (646-368-7233)

Attend Online Live: https://meet44589163.adobeconnect.com/ctg

In addition to our top-ranked proprietary execution services, CTG offers FREE training programs for all members:

•             Free month long intensive training course (In-house OR 1080p HD web broadcast) teaching order entry and ECN rebating techniques – offered every month

•             Free one:one coaching with CTG traders with proven trading track records

•             In-house (New York, NY; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Boston, MA; Philadelphia, PA; White Plains, NY) or remote (worldwide) trading capabilities

•             Unlimited retakes for all members

•             Live reviews and risk management of your trades

•             Live & archived courses covering many different trading styles

•             For US traders, Series 56 training and materials included

We also offer free on-going educational courses for all members on the following topics:

•             Intelligent Risk Management

•             Competitive Payout (up to 99:1)

•             Advanced Execution Strategies

•             High Frequency Trading

•             Basket Trading

•             Pairs/Spread trading

•             Dark Pool Smart Routing

•             Remote Trading & Training

•             Advanced Analytics

Dear Valued Trader,

Thank You for your interest in Capital Traders Group. I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to a CTG Open-House seminar at our new state-of-the-art trading and training center located at 11 Broadway, just steps from Battery Park and the infamous Wall St. Bull

We will discuss Market News, Rumors & Opinions, as well as demonstrate and have available demos of our proprietary trading platforms: Fusion, Sterling & Lightspeed. Refreshments and snacks will be served.

Where:  11 Broadway, 15th Floor

                New York, NY 10004

When:  Thursday, Feb 2, 2012 at 5:00 PM

RSVP:  info@capitaltradersgroup.com

                                OR

Call us at 646-36-TRADE (646-368-7233)

Attend Online Live: https://meet44589163.adobeconnect.com/ctg

In addition to our top-ranked proprietary execution services, CTG offers FREE training programs for all members:

•             Free month long intensive training course (In-house OR 1080p HD web broadcast) teaching order entry and ECN rebating techniques – offered every month

•             Free one:one coaching with CTG traders with proven trading track records

•             In-house (New York, NY; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Boston, MA; Philadelphia, PA; White Plains, NY) or remote (worldwide) trading capabilities

•             Unlimited retakes for all members

•             Live reviews and risk management of your trades

•             Live & archived courses covering many different trading styles

•             For US traders, Series 56 training and materials included

We also offer free on-going educational courses for all members on the following topics:

•             Intelligent Risk Management

•             Competitive Payout (99:1)

•             Advanced Execution Strategies

•             High Frequency Trading

•             Basket Trading

•             Pairs/Spread trading

•             Dark Pool Smart Routing

•             Remote Trading & Training

•             Advanced Analytics

Capital Traders Group specializes in turning your strategies into a fully automated trading system. Our in-house data center ensures the highest quality market data with high throughput and lowest latency. 

Grey Box: CTG can design a custom alert system that will adequately and timely provide…buy/sell signals based on your criteria. Never miss a winning trade again!

Indicators: Have a unique or profitable indicator that you need designed?  CTG can design a program that delivers 100% accurate data per your criteria in real time.

Alerts: Need Custom ALERT screeners? CTG can simplify this process for you… just input the symbols and prices and be notified when those stocks hit the levels entered. 

Many newcomers to stock trading cannot tell the difference between a proprietary trading firm and an online (retail) broker. When deciding to open an account, traders make their comparison of brokers based on the relative cost and the products offered, but more often than not they fail to realize that the products are not exactly the same. This article seeks to shed light on the mechanics of a prop trading account and educate traders about the differences between the two options so that one can compare them more effectively.

The analysis has been provided in six key areas: software, rebates, fees, buying power, education and short locates (availability of hard to borrow securities). These are the areas in which the two are most distinctively different and are rightfully the most common factors considered in this decision. You as a trader will place a different emphasis on particular categories as you consider whether retail or prop is best for you.

Software

Retail – Retail brokers typically offer the ability to execute trades on their website. Most also offer their own trading platform at a monthly cost to the trader. This fee may be waived if you meet their minimum requirements for account assets.

Prop – A good prop firm will offer traders a choice between a few different direct access routing programs. A trader’s platform provides the ability to execute and monitor transactions quickly and effectively. A proprietary platform will have direct connectivity to the exchange matching engine. Hot keys are also a must have for intraday traders and are a feature offered in proprietary software, but not often that of retail firms. Most proprietary trading platforms provide access to more in depth real-time market data such as NASDAQ’s Totalview, ARCA Book, NYSE OpenBook, BATS and Direct Edge Books, although some of this data may come at an additional cost. Greater market depth and breadth can assist the trader in making better trading decisions on very active and heavily traded securities in real-time.

Rebates

Rebates refer to the compensation that ECNs provide to traders who add liquidity to the market. Most ECNs give rebates to traders who add liquidity and charge a slightly higher fee to traders who remove liquidity from their market center. This is a basic ECN business model, although there are a few ECNs that are structured differently.

Retail – In the vast majority of cases, retail firms do not pass on rebates to their traders. The online broker will most often route the flow to a low cost exclusive destination which does not cost extra and is not often directly to an exchange. If a retail trader chooses to route to a particular ECN, the additional fee on top of their flat commission rate may be passed through to the trader.

Prop – Traders who trade at a proprietary trading firm get the advantage of benefiting from the widely adopted “taker-maker” model that most exchanges offer. Traders who add liquidity will receive rebates for doing so in accordance with that exchange’s rates (which can be as high as $3/1000 shares). This can be a substantial source of revenue for the prop trader and will also influence his/her decision of which route to use.

Fees

Retail  – The fee structure for retail firms will vary from shop to shop and the industry is highly competitive. One firm may offer no account transfer fees while another may advertise no inactivity fees. Still another may not charge for wires, but they may make this up in their commission structure. In general, retail firms have a flat, per trade commission rate that is charged. There is also usually a software fee for the platform unless you meet certain minimum asset requirements or if you are a very active trader. Some other incidental fees that you may incur are those that have been mentioned above.

Prop – Proprietary trading firms are able to offer more competitive commission and transaction fees than the online broker. Proprietary firms typically use a per share structure with breakpoints for decreasing your commission as your volume increases. This is often a direct benefit to intraday traders who have a high number of trades per day.

All prop firms charge a software or desk fee which goes to pay for the data and order entry software that the firm uses. Some offer this software “at cost” to their traders and some charge a premium on top of their cost. The variety of routes offered directly affects the desk fee as well, so ask your prospective shop about the routes available when talking about desk fees. For some traders, more routes is more value added.

Day Trading Buying Power

Retail – In retail accounts, your buying power is THE LESSER OF the equity in your account divided by .30 (the 30% minimum global margin requirement for equities) OR your SMA multiplied by 2 (which satisfies the Regulation T requirements for equity purchases). For day traders, you must have at least $25,000 in equity in order to do more than three round trips (day trades) in a rolling five business day period (FINRA Rule 2520). Outside of this model, certain accounts may be eligible for portfolio margin.

Prop – With a prop firm, your buying power is determined by the firm you’re with and the risk capital deposited. Some traders may be fully backed by a firm (true prop) in which case they can expect the firm to take a portion of profits to compensate for the risk taken. Many traders find trading prop more advantageous as they can trade a lot more capital that they would have access to in a retail account.

Day traders with less than $25,000 are prime clients of prop firms as they are able to trade freely without worrying about the minimum equity requirements enforced by FINRA Rule 2520. This is because most prop firms are set up so that traders trade sub accounts of the firm, but the firm “hits the street” as one large account.

Education

Retail – Many retail firms have educational information on their website. The breadth, depth and level of educational materials vary from firm to firm. The material is usually in the form of suggested reading, archived lessons and, occasionally, trading seminars.

Prop – Offerings for training in the prop field are highly sought after. Many traders who are beginning their trading careers look to prop firms with advertised training programs. Be cautious of firms that charge for educational classes and then provide firm capital for you to trade. Some of these firms are modeled to generate revenue from training which can cause a conflict of interest as their incentive to see traders last in the long run is greatly reduced. When a trader joins a prop firm and deposits risk capital, all compliant firms are required to hold your deposit for 12 months. Afterwards, the trader may receive his/her deposit back. In short, be aware that if a firm charges for training they may be trying to avoid the lock up period so they can treat it as revenue immediately.

Shorting/Locates

All traders, prop and retail, are subject to Regulation SHO which governs short selling in US markets. Traders must have located shares that they wish to borrow before selling short. Some stocks may be on the threshold list or “hard to borrow” list and may not be available. This list is updated every 24 hours.

Retail – If a retail trader would like to short a stock on the threshold list, there may be little that can be done to locate additional stock intraday and an opportunity may be missed.

Prop -Traders with a prop firm may submit locate requests before and during market hours in order to locate additional shares of stock on the threshold list.

As it happens, most traders begin trading in retail accounts due to their accessibility and pervasiveness in the investing community. Too many traders are unaware of the options available to them when it comes to cost structure, service and performance. It is my hope that this article will dispel some of the mystery and stigma from prop. Looking at these six areas, you can better determine if your style of trading is more suited for a prop account, or if you would be better off opening an account with a retail broker.

When choosing a firm in either category, research is paramount. Make sure your broker or trading desk has a sound reputation and make sure to ask the right questions. Talk to traders or read reviews on forums and trading websites. The better informed you are from the onset, the better your experience will be and the more comfortable you will be doing business with them.

Happy trading.

Capital Traders Group offers FREE proprietary trading training programs for all members:

• Free two-week intensive training course (In-house OR 1080p HD web broadcast) teaching order entry and ECN rebating techniques – offered every month
• Free one:one coaching with CTG traders with proven trading track records
• In-house (New York Headquarters) or remote (worldwide) trading capabilities
• Unlimited retakes for all members
• Live reviews and risk management of your trades
• Live & archived courses covering many different trading styles

What is the Series 56 Exam?

Series 56 examination for proprietary traders is a 100-multiple choice examination that tackles various topics that are very important in trading. Capital Traders Group now offers series 56 training materials and preparation course to all members both on-site and via 1080p HD web broadcast every month FREE for all members. The training also works on the traders ability to finish a test exam for 2 ½ hours, as this is the required time for candidates to finish Series 56.

For a quick series 56 cheat sheet – Click Here!

Capital Traders Group and Series 56 Examination

It is predicted that the Series 56 exam will surpass the other exams out there. Therefore, to prepare them for this test, CTG requires the traders to also take a stab at the orientation test that will prepare them for the actual exam. By being knowledgeable on the basic concepts of the stock market in general, then they can be better prepared o pass the rules in the stock market and trading exchange.

The purpose of the Series 56 exam is to ensure that traders conducting exchanges in the stock market have a right to be there. They receive the license required in order for them to continue trading and handling stocks on margin. Trading in general is a serious matter. Just like any career, there must be an exam that the participants should pass so that they can claim they are licensed to trade there.

Opening View: Stocks Ready to Rally on Hopes for Encouraging Employment Data

The DJIA, SPX, and COMP are poised to continue their run into the black

by Andrea Kramer (akramer@sir-inc.com) 3/30/2011 8:06 AM

Stocks are ready to extend Tuesday’s rally, taking a cue from markets in Japan and across the pond. On the earnings stage, the Street is celebrating the latest figures from Family Dollar Stores (FDO – 52.40), which reported solid quarterly earnings and upped the low end of its full-year guidance. Meanwhile, Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX – 44.39) and Cephalon (CEPH – 58.75) are also in the spotlight, after the former drug maker made a hostile bid for the latter. However, the looming ADP employment report will be front and center, with investors hoping for encouraging data ahead of Friday’s highly anticipated nonfarm payrolls report. Ahead of the bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is up about 66 points, while the broader S&P 500 Index (SPX) is flirting with a 9.3-point lead.

On the earnings front, Family Dollar Stores (FDO) is in the spotlight this morning, after announcing a fiscal second-quarter profit of $123.2 million, or 98 cents per share, beating analysts’ estimates by a penny per share. For the current quarter, the discount retailer projected a profit of 92 cents to 97 cents per share, in line with the Street’s forecast for per-share earnings of 94 cents. In addition, the company lifted the low end of its full-year earnings guidance by 5 cents per share, to a range of $3.13 to $3.23 per share. For 2011, analysts polled by Thomson Reuters are calling for a profit of $3.12 per share. Ahead of the bell, the shares of FDO are up about 1.4%.

Meanwhile, Tibco Software (TIBX – 26.27) last night said first-quarter net profit jumped 53% to about $16 million, or 9 cents per share. Excluding items, the firm posted a profit of 16 cents per share, beating analysts’ expectations by a penny. Revenue, meanwhile, grew 20% to $185.3 million, exceeding the Street’s estimate for sales of $182.7 million. Furthermore, the software maker forecast an adjusted second-quarter profit of 17 to 18 cents per share — on the low end of the Street’s projections for per-share earnings of 18 cents — and said it anticipates second-quarter revenue of $195 million to $200 million, compared to analysts’ expectations for quarterly sales of $195 million. At last check, TIBX has given up 1%.

Finally, Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX) last night made a hostile bid for Cephalon (CEPH). More specifically, the biopharmaceutical firm’s all-cash offer of $73 per share, which values Cephalon at $5.7 billion, represents a 24.5% premium to CEPH’s settlement price of $58.75 on Tuesday. Cephalon said it’s considering Valeant’s offer, and advised shareholders to wait for a response from the board. In pre-market action, the shares of VRX have added roughly 16.7%, while CEPH was trading more than 30% higher.

Earnings Preview

The earnings calendar will feature reports from Acuity Brands (AYI) and The Mosaic Company (MOS). Keep your browser at SchaeffersResearch.com for more news as it breaks.

Economic Calendar

Today’s economic calendar features the regularly scheduled update on crude inventories, as well as ADP’s employment report for March — which will be eyed as a potential preview of Friday’s headline jobs number. On Thursday, we’ll hear reports on weekly jobless claims, the Chicago purchasing managers index (PMI) for March, and factory orders for February. The Labor Department will take center stage ahead of Friday’s open with its March nonfarm payrolls report. Consensus estimates are calling for an increase of 192,000, according to Dow Jones. Also on tap are construction spending for February, the ISM’s manufacturing index, and domestic auto sales data for March.

Market Statistics

Equity option activity on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 1,029,712 call contracts traded on Tuesday, compared to 561,462 put contracts. The resultant single-session put/call ratio fell to 0.55, while the 21-day moving average was flat at 0.62.

Overseas Trading

A weaker yen helped Japanese stocks higher today, with exporters like Honda Motor (HMC) pacing the advancers. In addition, Hitachi Ltd. (HIT) skyrocketed more than 8.5% amid expectations for its Chiba Prefecture plant to return to full production sometime next month. By the close, Japan’s Nikkei index soared 2.6%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 1.7%. China’s Shanghai Composite bucked the trend, surrendering almost 0.1% as housing and coal stocks pulled back.

European markets were also in the black, with mining stocks blazing the path higher in London. Elsewhere, signs that post-earthquake production will resume soon helped France- and Germany-based automakers higher, with BMW tacking on nearly 2%. At last check, the FTSE 100 has advanced 0.5%, France’s CAC 40 is up 0.9%, and Germany’s DAX has soared 1.6%.

Currencies and Commodities

The U.S. dollar is relatively flat this morning, as the U.S. Dollar Index was seen hovering around 76.25. Elsewhere, crude futures are trading slightly lower, giving back some of Tuesday’s gains. In electronic trading, the May crude futures contract has fallen about 0.4% to flirt with $104.34 per barrel. Finally, gold futures have bounced back, adding 0.2% to linger near $1,420.70 an ounce.

Unusual Put and Call Activity:

 

For an explanation of how to use this information, check out our Education Center topics onOption Volume and Open Interest Configurations.

Opening View: Markets Muted Ahead of Housing Data; HAL in the Headlines

The DJIA, SPX, and COMP are flirting with breakeven ahead of the bell

by Andrea Kramer (akramer@sir-inc.com) 3/29/2011 8:04 AM

The major market indexes started Monday’s session strong, but succumbed to an eleventh-hour sell-off to end near session lows. Ahead of the bell this morning, it appears stocks are struggling to pick a direction, as the Street awaits another round of housing data and consumer confidence stats. In equities news, Halliburton (HAL – 47.90) has made headlines this morning, after the commodity concern said civil unrest in the Middle East and weather issues across the globe will “severely” impact its first-quarter figures. Meanwhile, investors will also keep an eye on Wal-Mart Stores (WMT – 52.19), which is trying to avoid setting a courtroom precedent. At last check, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is trading fractionally higher, while the broader S&P 500 Index (SPX) is flirting with a 1.8-point deficit.

As alluded to earlier, Halliburton (HAL) last night warned that conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa will cut its first-quarter earnings by about 3 to 4 cents per share. Furthermore, the commodity concern said weather-related woes in North America and Australia could reduce its current-quarter profit by 5 to 8 cents per share. Ahead of the bell, the shares of HAL are down roughly 1%.

Meanwhile, Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the biggest class-action sex-discrimination lawsuit in history. Female employees of the blue-chip conglomerate have alleged that for more than a decade, the retailer has paid women less and gave them fewer promotions than men. The nation’s highest court is expected to issue a ruling — which could set a massive precedent — by late June. At last check, the shares of WMT are down about 0.3%.

On the earnings front, Philips-Van Heusen (PVH – 60.17) reported fourth-quarter earnings — excluding items — of 93 cents per share, exceeding analysts’ expectations for a profit of 83 cents per share. Revenue, meanwhile, jumped to $1.4 billion from $614.6 million in the year-ago period, helped by the company’s acquisition of the Tommy Hilfiger brand. What’s more, the firm forecast current-quarter per-share earnings of $1.14 to $1.16 on sales of $1.32 billion to $1.35 billion, and predicted a full-year per-share profit of $4.70 to $4.95 (excluding a 58-cent per-share loss related to the Tommy purchase) on revenue of $5.58 to $5.66 billion. Ahead of the bell, the shares of PVH have added around 3%.

Earnings Preview

The earnings calendar will feature reports from Apollo Group (APOL), Lennar Corporation (LEN), Sealy Corp. (ZZ), and TIBCO Software (TIBX). Keep your browser atSchaeffersResearch.com for more news as it breaks.

Economic Calendar

The economic calendar remains packed today, with weekly chain store sales, the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index for January, and the Conference Board’s consumer confidence index for March on tap. Wednesday features the regularly scheduled update on crude inventories, as well as ADP’s employment report for March — which will be eyed as a potential preview of Friday’s headline jobs number. On Thursday, we’ll hear reports on weekly jobless claims, the Chicago purchasing managers index (PMI) for March, and factory orders for February. The Labor Department will take center stage ahead of Friday’s open with its March nonfarm payrolls report. Consensus estimates are calling for an increase of 192,000, according to Dow Jones. Also on tap are construction spending for February, the ISM’s manufacturing index, and domestic auto sales data for March.

Market Statistics

Equity option activity on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 965,516 call contracts traded on Monday, compared to 549,492 put contracts. The resultant single-session put/call ratio remained at 0.57, while the 21-day moving average was flat at 0.62.

Overseas Trading

Asian stocks were mostly lower today, with Japanese equities extending yesterday’s decline on concerns of dangerous levels of radiation near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The shares of Tokyo Electric Power led the laggards, after confessing to evidence of plutonium taken from samples near the plant. By the close, Japan’s Nikkei index swallowed a loss of 0.2%. Meanwhile, Indian stocks extended their run higher, as falling crude oil prices curbed fears of inflation.

European markets were also in the red. In London, BP plc (BP) has given up more than 2% after Collins Stewart smacked the shares with a downgrade to “sell” from “hold.” Furthermore, media reports indicated that managers at the British commodity concern could face manslaughter charges related to last April’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Elsewhere, UBI Banca is paving the path lower for the financial sector, after the Italian banking issue reported a net loss for the fourth quarter. At last check, the FTSE 100 has given up 0.3%, while Germany’s DAX has fallen 0.8%.

Currencies and Commodities

The U.S. dollar has gained more ground this morning, as the U.S. Dollar Index was seen hovering around 76.20. Elsewhere, crude futures are trading slightly lower, continuing yesterday’s retreat. In electronic trading, the May crude futures contract has fallen about 0.8% to flirt with $103.18 per barrel. Finally, gold futures are positioned to extend their decline, surrendering 0.5% to linger near $1,414.30 an ounce.

Unusual Put and Call Activity:

 

For an explanation of how to use this information, check out our Education Center topics onOption Volume and Open Interest Configurations.

Opening View: Stocks Set to Extend Gains as Street Keeps an Eye Overseas

Crude oil futures are pointed lower on reports of rebels gaining ground in Libya

by Andrea Kramer (akramer@sir-inc.com) 3/28/2011 8:09 AM

After finishing last week on a high note, the major market indexes are once again poised to extend their lead atop key round-number levels. In the equities market, Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) and Nokia Corp. (NOK) are dominating headlines after scoring upgrades at Goldman Sachs, while a litigation win for Eastman-Kodak (EK) and a revised earnings outlook from AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) have also garnered favorable attention on the Street. However, news of notably high levels of radiation in Japan, escalating geopolitical tension in Syria, and the deluge of economic data on tap could take stocks in another direction. Ahead of the bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) has added 33 points, while the S&P 500 Index (SPX) is about 2.9 points north of breakeven.

In equities news, Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) is positioned to kick off the session on a high note today, thanks to an upbeat endorsement from analysts at Goldman Sachs. More specifically, the brokerage firm upped its opinion of the telecom firm to “buy” from “neutral,” and lifted its price target to 5.5EUR from 3.4EUR. “For the first time since the merger with Lucent we believe that Alcatel-Lucent’s business mix is fundamentally improving,” Goldman said.

In the same vein, Goldman Sachs also upgraded Nokia Corp. (NOK) to “buy” from “neutral,” opining that the shares’ 30% drop since early February presents a favorable entry point for long-term bulls. Furthermore, the analysts applauded the CEO’s decision to “take Nokia back to its hardware-oriented roots,” which “creates the potential for 1 billion euros or more in cost reduction.”Ahead of the bell, the shares of NOK are up about 3%.

Elsewhere, the shares of Eastman Kodak (EK) are poised to blaze a path higher today, after the firm on Friday scored a courtroom victory. More specifically, the U.S. International Trade Commission said it will review the company’s claim that Research In Motion Limited (RIMM) and Apple Inc. (AAPL) are infringing on its digital-camera patents. The final ruling – which could translate into hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties for EK – is expected sometime next month. At last check, EK has soared more than 18%.

Finally, AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) upped its full-year profit outlook after reaching a favorable tax agreement with British and U.S. authorities. For 2011, the drug maker now expects core earnings – excluding items – to range between $6.90 and $7.20 per share, up from its previous guidance for a per-share profit of $6.45 to $6.75. Ahead of the bell, the shares of AZN have ticked 0.4% higher.

Earnings Preview

The earnings calendar will feature reports from Cal-Maine Foods (CALM), Novavax (NVAX), Phillips-Van Heusen (PVH), and Progress Software (PRGS). Keep your browser atSchaeffersResearch.com for more news as it breaks.

Economic Calendar

We hit the ground running with economic news this week, as today brings us reports on personal incomes and spending, pending home sales for February, and the Dallas Fed manufacturing index for March. The pace stays busy on Tuesday, with weekly chain store sales, the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index for January, and the Conference Board’s consumer confidence index for March. Wednesday features the regularly scheduled update on crude inventories, as well as ADP’s employment report for March — which will be eyed as a potential preview of Friday’s headline jobs number. On Thursday, we’ll hear reports on weekly jobless claims, the Chicago purchasing managers index (PMI) for March, and factory orders for February. The Labor Department will take center stage ahead of Friday’s open with its March nonfarm payrolls report. Consensus estimates are calling for an increase of 192,000, according to Dow Jones. Also on tap are construction spending for February, the ISM’s manufacturing index, and domestic auto sales data for March.

Market Statistics

Equity option activity on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 1,202,373 call contracts traded on Friday, compared to 683,039 put contracts. The resultant single-session put/call ratio remained at 0.57, while the 21-day moving average was flat at 0.62.

Overseas Trading

Japan-listed stocks slid today, thanks to reports of dangerously high levels of radioactivity near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear-power plant. By the close, the Nikkei gave back 0.6% to end south of 9,500. Meanwhile, the Shanghai Composite gained ground on expectations for solid earnings out of the banking sector this week.

European markets were mixed, at last check, as traders digest radiation warnings in Japan and the defeat of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives in a key state election. At last look, Germany’s DAX has surrendered 0.2%, while Stockholm-listed stocks have given back 0.15%. Elsewhere, London’s FTSE 100 has added 0.14%, with AstraZeneca PLC pacing the advancing issues after lifting its full-year earnings guidance.

Currencies and Commodities

The U.S. dollar has ticked higher this morning, as the U.S. Dollar Index was seen hovering around 76.33. Elsewhere, crude futures are trading slightly lower, thanks to news that anti-government forces were gaining ground in Libya. In electronic trading, the May crude futures contract has fallen 0.63% to flirt with $104.74 per barrel. Finally, gold futures are also on the decline, giving back 0.7% to linger near $1,417.10 an ounce.

Unusual Put and Call Activity:

 

For an explanation of how to use this information, check out our Education Center topics onOption Volume and Open Interest Configurations.