US STOCKS-Wall St near highs after upbeat earnings run

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* Futures up: Dow 0.10%, S&P 0.09%, Nasdaq 0.09%

By Arjun Panchadar
Nov 6 (Reuters) - Wall Street was on course to open close to
record highs on Wednesday as investors digested a corporate
earnings season that has seen the bulk of U.S.-listed firms best
analysts' expectations, funding another round of stock market
gains.
Eyes remained glued to any signs of progress in trade talks
between Washington and Beijing with latest reports saying the
two sides were still working out the details of a "phase one"
trade deal which could be signed later this month. Latest data has also improved sentiment, with the ISM
services index easing concerns that a slowdown in the
manufacturing sector was spreading to other parts of the
economy. Of the 383 S&P 500 companies to have reported third-quarter
results so far, nearly three quarters have beaten profit
expectations, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.
To some extent, however, those figures reflect the
significantly lowered expectations of analysts, who had forecast
the first earnings drop since late 2016 and many players say
they have doubts about the market's ability to rally much
further this year.
At 07:29 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis 1YMcv1 were up just 27
points, or 0.1%. S&P 500 e-minis EScv1 were up 2.75 points, or
0.09% and Nasdaq 100 e-minis NQcv1 were up 7.25 points, or
0.09%.
Humana Inc HUM.N rose 3.9% as the health insurer reported
quarterly profit that beat estimates on higher sales of its
government-backed Medicare Advantage health plans, and raised
its full-year earnings forecast. CVS Health Corp CVS.N gained 2.6% in premarket trading
after the pharmacy chain posted a better-than-expected quarterly
profit, partly boosted by its pharmacy benefit management unit.
But shares of Match Group Inc MTCH.O fell 10.4% after the
Tinder-owner forecast fourth-quarter revenue below estimates in
the face of stiff competition from rival online dating services.
Its parent firm, IAC/InterActiveCorp IAC.O , dropped 7.1%.
Shares of DaVita Inc DVA.N rose 7.3% after the company
reported better-than-expected third-quarter results.
HP Inc HPQ.N jumped 8.4% after a report that Xerox
Holdings Corp XRX.N was considering an offer for the personal
computer maker at a premium to its market value of about $27
billion. Xerox shares were down 3.1%.