Major business events and economic events scheduled for Thursday:

NEW YORK -- Major retailers report October sales results.

WASHINGTON -- Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims, 8:30 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Labor Department releases third-quarter productivity, 8:30 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on business formation and financial crime.

WASHINGTON -- Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on the Employment Nondiscrimination Act.

WASHINGTON -- Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, releases weekly mortgage rates.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Activision Blizzard Inc. releases third-quarter results.

NEW YORK -- CBS Corp. releases third-quarter results.

PHILADELPHIA -- Cigna Corp. releases third-quarter results.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- CVS Caremark Corp. releases third-quarter results.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- DirecTV Group Inc. releases third-quarter results.

HOUSTON -- Dynegy Inc. releases third-quarter results.

CINCINNATI -- E.W. Scripps Co. releases third-quarter results.

LAS VEGAS -- MGM Mirage Inc. releases third-quarter results.

NEW YORK -- Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. releases third-quarter results.

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. -- Sara Lee Corp. releases first-quarter results.

SEATTLE -- Starbucks Corp. releases fourth-quarter results.

NEW YORK -- Thomson Reuters Corp. releases third-quarter results.

NEW YORK -- Time Warner Cable Inc. releases third-quarter results.

ATLANTA -- Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc. releases third-quarter results.