U.S. stock higher in pre-market trading for,Oct 19.The Dow Futures is trading at 28,606.30 up with +0.39% percent or +112.11 point. The S&P 500 Futures is trading at 3,483.81 up with +0.01%percent or +0.47 point.The Nasdaq Futures is trading at 11,852.20 with a loss of -0.39% percent or -46.41 point.

In other parts of world, Japan’s Nikkei 225 is trading at at 23,671.13 up with + percent or  +260.50 point. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng is trading at 24,559.03 up with +percent or +172.24 point. China’s Shanghai  Composite is trading at 3,312.67 with a loss of – percent or ?23.69 point. India’s BSE Sensex is trading at 40,325.69 up with +percent or +342.71 point at 12:15 PM.The FTSE 100 closed at 5,951.99 up with + percent or  +32.41 point. France’s CAC  40 closed at 4,987.35 with + percent or +51.50 point.Germany’s DAX closed at 13,002.70 up with +percent or   +93.71 point.

Monday’s Factors and Events

concerns remain over the current surge in Covid-19 cases across the U.S. A CNBC analysis of Johns Hopkins University data showed Covid-19 cases were growing by 5% or more in 38 states as of Friday, with the daily case average nationwide rising by more than 16% week on week to nearly 55,000.

There are no major economic data releases Monday, but investors will be monitoring Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s speech at 8 a.m. ET.

Auctions will be held Monday for $54 billion of 13-week Treasury bills and $51 billion of 26-week bills.

Friday Activity

For the day the Dow is trading at 28,606.31 up with +percent or +112.11 point. The S&P 500 is trading at 3,483.81 with  + percent or  +0.47 point. The Nasdaq Composite is trading at 11,671.56 with a loss of – percent or –42.31 point.

Other leading market index closes included the small-cap Russell 2000 Index closed at 1,633.81 up with -0.31% percent or -5.08 point; the S&P 600 Small-Cap Index closed at 923.71 with a loss of – percent or ?5.86 point; the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index closed at 1,997.34 with a loss of – percent or ?5.48 point; the S&P 100 Index closed at 1,610.76 with a loss of – percent or 0.00 point; the Russell 3000 Index closed at 2,051.06 with a loss of – percent or ?0.93 point; the Russell 1000 Index closed at 1,947.02 with a loss of –or –0.57 point.