US MARKETS:

* S&P 500 futures up 0.1 to 2,775.25
* Brent futures up 0.8% to $79.93/bbl
* Gold spot up 0.2% to $1,228.23
* U.S. Dollar Index up 0.1% to 96.03

GLOBAL NEWS:

New results. Honeywell, P&G, and Schlumberger are among companies reporting earnings today.

Warnings. European stocks took a hit as quarterly results were less upbeat than those at the beginning of the week, with warnings from Bouygues, Michelin, and Sopra Steria.

Air France KLM, some progress? Air France and its unions could sign an agreement in the afternoon, after months of conflict about wages, Reuters said.

The little one takes over the big one. Ekinops confirms the rumors: preliminary discussions have been initiated with Nokia to acquire the subsea cable laying division of the former Alcatel, ASN.

Amex is fine. American Express exceeded earnings expectations when it announced its quarterly results last night, while raising its objectives.

DowDuPont’s huge write-down. The chemist will write down $4.6 billion in his accounts, in particular in relation to his agriculture division. DowDuPont has warned that its long-term objectives may be affected.

Amazon strengthens its R&D in the UK. Amazon will recruit a thousand people in the United Kingdom and open a new research center in Manchester. It will host 600 people, with other hires planned at existing centers in Edinburgh and Cambridge.

Intel releases IM Flash. Micron Technology acquires Intel's share of their joint venture. $1.5 billion is being spent on the IM Flash transaction, which will be completed in six to twelve months.

New record Porsche? The Volkswagen subsidiary wants to match its annual sales record this year, i.e. the 246,375 vehicles sold in 2017.

New look. Apple is expected to present new products at an event scheduled for October 30. Rumor has it that there will be a new iPad and a new Mac.

PayPal profit beats estimates. PayPal exceeded analysts’ earnings estimates and said it’s making progress toward monetizing Venmo, its mobile-payments service. The company reported adjusted earnings per share of 58 cents in the three months ending in September, above analysts’ estimates of 54 cents. Revenue jumped 14 percent to $3.68 billion,  while analysts had projected $3.67 billion.

China stocks rise most in two months as officials pledge support. Chinese stocks jumped the most in more than two months after top financial officials voiced support for the battered equity market. The Shanghai Composite Index rose 2.6 percent to 2,550.47, its biggest gain since Aug. 7. The Shenzhen Composite Index also gained 2.6 percent, while the ChiNext Index of smaller companies rallied the most since June.