OREANDA-NEWS. October 21, 2011. US stocks fell on Thursday with Financials (+1.75%) and Basic Materials (+0.81%) as leaders. S&P 500 index added 0.46%, Russell 2000 Index – was up by 0.3%. VIX added 0.99% to 34.78.  Of 97 companies reported so far 72 topped analysts’ expectations.

Initial jobless claims rose by 403K vs consensus forecast of 400K

Philadelphia Manufacturing Index rose 8.7 in October vs consensus forecast of -9.4.

EURUSD closed near 1.378.

Asian stocks were mixed on Friday, awaiting the Eurogroup summit. Shanghai stock indices lost 0.62% on average. S&P/ASX was down by 0.07%. Korean Kospi added 1.84%. Nikkei was down by 0.04%.

The European stock indices futures rose in the morning - Dow Jones Stoxx 50 futures was up by 0.75% while Dax futures added 0.44%. S&P futures added 0.1%.

In the US, Fed’s Hoenig and Fisher are to speak today.

9 S&P 500 companies are to present quarterly earnings reports.