(March 1) U.S. stock futures traded higher in early pre-market trade after the House of Representatives voted early Saturday morning to approve President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion Coronavirus relief package.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up more than 200 points, or 0.91%, while S&P 500 futures gained nearly 1%, Nasdaq-100 futures gained more than 1%. Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury note yield dipped to 1.386% early in Sunday trading, then slowly regained ground, last at 1.412%. Bond prices move inversely to yields.
The House passed the $1.9 trillion Biden stimulus plan Saturday, including $1,400 stimulus checks for many Americans. It also has a $15 minimum wage that can't be included under Senate rules for a budget reconciliation bill. A couple of moderate Democratic Senators will play a key role in how large the stimulus plan ultimately is.
The Caixin China manufacturing index fell 0.5 point in February to 50.9. Earlier, China's official manufacturing index fell from 51.3 in January to 50.6 in February. The services sector gauge fell 1 point to 51.4. Readings above 50 indicate growth.
Bitcoin Price
The Bitcoin price traded below $47,000 Monday morning, off Sunday's lows. The cryptocurrency had trended lower since topping $58,000 on Sunday, Feb. 21. It's still above the sub-$40,000 level when Tesla disclosed it had bought $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin.
Bitcoin and some related plays, such as Grayscale Bitcoin Trust(GBTC), has been falling toward their 50-day lines. That could be a key level of support.
Ethereum also has fallen sharply in the past week, as speculative investing sours. Dogecoin, which Elon Musk has personally invested in, also has sold off.
US Market Last week
Last week, the Dow lost 1.8%, the S&P 500 fell 2.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite slid 4.9%. That marked the Nasdaq's biggest slide since the week ended Oct. 30, according to FactSet data. February was still a winning month for equites though, with the Dow up 3.2%, the S&P 500 rising 2.6%, and the Nasdaq inching up 0.9%.
Latest News
1) AstraZeneca(AZN) – The drugmakersold its stakein Moderna, Inc. for more than $1 billion, according to the London Times. The paper said the sale occurred after Moderna shares soared following approval of its Covid-19 vaccine, although the exact timing was unclear. Moderna shares rose 1.8% in premarket trading.
2) Johnson & Johnson – J&J rose 2.1% in the premarket after its Covid-19 vaccinereceived emergency use authorizationfrom the Food and Drug Administration over the weekend, followed by an endorsementfrom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Administration officials say deliveries of the vaccine should begin Tuesday.
3) Saudi Arabian Airlines plans to order 70 airliners from Boeing and Airbus, according to Saudi news outlet Maaal; Boeing up 2% in the pre-market.
4) The group of "meme" stocks, led by videogame retailer GameStop Corp.that have been volatile in recent weeks as investors on a Reddit subgroup have egged each other on, were active again in premarket trade Monday.
GameStop shares were up 5% pre-market, while shares of AMC Entertainment the world's biggest cinema chain, were up 12%. BlackBerry was up 3.8%, and Naked Brand was up 9.5%. Koss a maker of headphones, was up 2.9%.
5) Berkshire Hathaway – Berkshire reported a 23% increase in fourth-quarter profit to $35.8 billion, helped by a surge in the value of Berkshire’s stock market holdings. Berkshire alsobought back nearly $25 billion in stockduring 2020, with CEO Warren Buffett explaining in his annual letter that the move increased shareholder value while still leaving ample cash for other opportunities that might arise. Berkshire Class B shares rose 2.1% premarket.
6) Twitter– Twitter rose 1% in premarket trading after it announced its intention to sell $1.25 billion in convertible notes due in 2026, subject to market conditions.
7) Wal-Mart – The retailer dropped its $35 minimum charge for its two-hour express delivery service. However, the $35 minimum will still apply for regularly delivery, curbside pickup and Walmart+ delivery services. Walmart shares rose 1% in the premarket.
8) Citigroup – Citigroup shares rose 2.1% in premarket trading as Jane Fraser takes over as Chief Executive Officer of the bank today, becoming the first woman to run a major U.S. bank.
9) Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. – The timeshare company posted a wider-than-expected loss for its latest quarter, while revenue was also below Wall Street forecasts. Hilton Grand Vacations said the pandemic has created a challenging environment but said 85% of its properties are now open and operating. Its shares fell 2.3% in premarket trading.
10) NRG Energy Inc – The energy provider reported better-than-expected profit and revenue for its latest quarter, and also said the financial impact of the extreme weather in Texas is expected to be within NRG’s current guidance range. The company’s shares jumped 5.5% in the premarket.
11) Perrigo Co PLC – Perrigo shares initially jumped 4.1% in premarket action after the drugmaker announced a deal to sell its Generic Rx Pharmaceuticals business to private-equity firm Altaris Capital for $1.55 billion in cash and other considerations. The gains disappeared, however, after Perrigo reported lower-than-expected earnings for its latest quarter as sales fell.
12) L3Harris Technologies, Inc. – The defense contractor struck a deal to sell its military training division to Canadian aerospace companyCAE(CAE) for $1.05 billion. The deal will enhance CAE’s defense business.
13) Logitech International SA – Logitech shares fell 1.5% premarket after it saidoperating income for fiscal 2022 would be between $750 million and $800 million, down from the $1.1 billion it expects to report for fiscal 2021. Logitech had seen a boom in demand for devices like computer mice and keyboards due to the pandemic, with more people working and attending school from home.
14) Twilio – Twilio is in talks to invest up to $750 million in messaging company Syniverse Technologies, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to The Wall Street Journal. They said that the expected investment by the cloud communications company would value Syniverse – currently owned by private-equity firmCarlyle Group(CG) – at $2 billion to $3 billion. Twilio rose 2.3% in premarket action.
15) Vector Acquisition Corp – The special purpose acquisition company will take space transportation startup Rocket Lab publicthrough a merger dealthat values Rocket Lab at $4.1 billion. The deal is expected to be completed during the second quarter. Vector shares surged 17.1% in premarket trading.
16) Wayfair – The home goods retailer’s shares rose 2.1% in the premarket after Truist Securities upgraded the stock to “buy” from “hold,” saying it sees an improved picture for long-term profitability and a faster growth trajectory.
17) Catalent – The pharmaceutical technology company has been struggling with vaccine production problems, according to a report in the Financial Times. Catalent fills vaccine vials for both Johnson & Johnson and Moderna, and the report said issues with automation technology have meant that vials have had to be checked by hand.