Good morning, friends and Fortune readers.
Stocks look set to rally at Thursday’s open, bouncing back from Wednesday’s triple-digit drop for the Dow. Earnings are the main focus of investors today, with General Motors (GM), a handful of major airlines, plus industrials such Caterpillar (CAT) and 3M (MMM), reporting results. A couple of big tech companies will also report. On the other side of the pond, Tesco is in serious trouble. Here’s what else you need to know today.
1. Come fly with me
A handful of major airlines in the U.S. are reporting earnings today, including United Continental (UAL), American Airlines (AAL), JetBlue (JBLU) and Southwest (LUV). Ebola is sure to be a major topic, especially considering that yesterday a poll from TheStreet.com found that 27% of Americans fear flying because of the virus.
2. Tech giants report, too
The airline industry isn’t the only one having a big day today — tech earnings continue to roll in. Today is a Seattle-heavy day, with Emerald City companies Microsoft (MSFT) and Amazon (AMZN) both reporting this afternoon. This is Amazon’s first report since buying streaming site Twitch, so look to see what is said about that.
3. Tesco’s troubles
U.K. supermarket chain Tesco is the second biggest retailer in the world after Wal-Mart (WMT), but lately its been all bad news. That continued today as the chairman of the company stepped down following a massive accounting scandal. The company overstated its profits by around $421 million.
4. Apple is building in China
There’s nothing like the joy of heading into an Apple Store, especially if you like crowds and white walls. Soon, more consumers in China will be able to experience that, as CEO Tim Cook announced Apple (AAPL) is planning on building 25 more stores in the country, on top of the 15 already in existence. Genius Bar shots for everyone.
5. A shuffle at Proctor & Gamble
Mel Healey, the head of P&G’s (PG) North American business, will be leaving the company at the end of the year. She will be replaced by another P& G executive, Global Customer Business Development Officer Carolyn Tastad. Healey was once considered a potential CEO candidate at the company.
