Amazon, Microsoft Top What to Watch on Wall Street for Thursday, Oct. 23

On Thursday, October 23rd we note earnings from Amazon.com after the closing bell. The online retailer had a busy quarter of spending; buying video game company Twitch for $1 billion, launching payment service called Amazon Local Register, and releasing its own smartphone. Investors will likely be looking for any clues on how the company expects to make a profit in the future following its expensive projects. The cloud and software giant Microsoft will also report after market close. Before the opening bell, we watch cable giant Comcast, construction vehicle maker Caterpillar, and car company General Motors. It's a busy morning on the U.S. economic calendar. We'll also get weekly jobless claims figures, the Markit Manager’s manufacturing index, and the Conference Board’s leading indicators.