Stock Futures Pointed Higher Ahead of Fed Update
The major indexes are looking to build off yesterday's modest wins
Fernanda Horner
NDX
The Fed will provide its outlook on gross domestic product (GDP), unemployment and inflation
Stock futures are looking to build on Tuesday's modest gains, ahead of today's Federal Reserve quarterly update. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) are pointed 130 points higher, while both the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) are eyeing a head start as well, thanks to upbeat earnings from Adobe (ADBE) and FedEx (FDX).
Disappointing U.S. retail sales could be clipping some of these gains, however. Elsewhere, investors are looking to this afternoon's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) quarterly update on its gross domestic product (GDP), unemployment and inflation estimates.
Francesca's stock plummeted amid bankruptcy buzz.
Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White gets ahead of window dressers.
Plus, behind Eli Lilly's COVID-19 antibody treatment; Congressional report blasts Boeing; law firm stands for Kodak CEO.
5 Things You Need to Know Today
The Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE) saw over 1.4 million call contracts traded on Tuesday, and 691,198 put contracts. The single-session equity put/call ratio dropped to 0.46 and the 21-day moving average fell to 0.48.
Eli Lilly And Co (NYSE: LLY) is up 1.9% in pre-market trading, after the company said its experimental antibody treatment for COVID-19 helped patients recover from the virus more quickly, and potentially prevented hospitalizations. The antibody was identified in one of the first U.S. patients to recover from the virus. The stock is up 36.2% year-over-year.
Boeing Co (NYSE: BA) is down 1.1% before the bell, after a Congressional report detailed design, management and regulatory failures during the development of the 737 Max, leading to the death of 346 people. The report also underlined pressure to finish the jet to compete with rival Airbus, and comes as regulators are getting closer to recertifying planes. Year-over-year, the security is down 57.4%.
The shares of Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE: KODK) are up 44.9% in electronic trading, after a law firm said the securities transactions made by CEO Jim Continenza after he learned the company could receive a $765 million government loan did not violate internal policies. Year-over-year, the security is up 124.9%.
Today's focus will also be on retail sales and business inventories data. There are no earnings reports of note.
European, Asian Markets Lower as Investors Await Fed Remarks
Stocks in Asia were mostly lower on Wednesday, ahead of the conclusion of the Fed's two-day meeting. Beginning on a positive note, Japan's Nikkei notched a 0.1% rise, after the country's Ministry of Finance showed exports fell 14.8% as compared to a year ago, lower than analyst estimates. Mainland stocks struggled, with China's Shanghai Composite and Hong Kong's Hang Seng falling 0.4% and 0.03%, respectively. Lastly, South Korea's Kospi lost 0.3%.
European markets are falling this morning, as investors unpack the state of the union from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and await comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell. London's FTSE 100 is leading the region in losses, down 0.3%, despite outsized gains from e-commerce giant The Hut Group. France's CAC 40 is off by 0.2% while the German DAX is marginally lower so far.