5 Things to Know Before the Stock Market Opens Wednesday

Source: NYSE

Here are the most important news, trends and analysis that investors need to start their trading day:

1. Stocks set to rise after S&P 500 closed at another record

U.S. stock futures rose Wednesday, a day after the S&P 500's modest gain pushed the index to another record close. The Nasdaq jumped 1% on Tuesday, moving it within 1% of February's record close. The Dow Jones Industrial Average's late-day comeback stalled and reversed, resulting in its second straight decline from Friday's record finish. Reopening trades came under pressure Tuesday after the FDA recommended a pause in Johnson & Johnson's one-shot Covid vaccine after reported rare cases of blood clotting.

2. Bank earnings beat estimates, surge past last year

People pass the JP Morgan Chase & Co. Corporate headquarters in the Manhattan borough of New York City.
Mike Segar | Reuters
People pass the JP Morgan Chase & Co. Corporate headquarters in the Manhattan borough of New York City.

The flood of earnings from the nation's biggest banks began Wednesday with Dow stocks JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs. JPMorgan and Goldman handily beat estimates with first-quarter profit and revenue and blew past the results from their year-earlier periods, which were hit by the early days of the Covid pandemic.

3. Coinbase gets $250 per share reference price ahead of direct listing

The Coinbase logo shown on a smartphone.
Chris Delmas | AFP via Getty Images
The Coinbase logo shown on a smartphone.

Nasdaq gave Coinbase Global a reference price of $250 per share ahead of Wednesday's planned direct listing. That would value the cryptocurrency exchange at about $65 billion, nearly eight times its $8 billion valuation in its last private fundraising round in 2018. Bitcoin has been surging in recent sessions, ahead of the Coinbase debut. Early Wednesday, bitcoin hit new heights near $65,000. The world's biggest cryptocurrecy has more than doubled this year.

4. CDC to convene advisory panel on J&J Covid vaccine

Zenobia Brown, MD, of the Northwell Health house calls program prepares a dose of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens borough on April 07, 2021 in New York City.
Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images
Zenobia Brown, MD, of the Northwell Health house calls program prepares a dose of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens borough on April 07, 2021 in New York City.

The CDC is set to convene a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Wednesday to further review the six cases of rare but severe blood-clotting issues that lead federal regulators to recommend pausing J&J's Covid vaccine. All six cases occurred in women ages 18 to 48, with symptoms developing six to 13 days after they received the shot. One of the women died. Another one is in critical condition.

5. Moderna issues data on its Covid vaccine six months out

Walmart pharmacist Carmine Pascarella administers a Moderna coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine for local resident Jeff Stone inside a Walmart department store as Walmart and other major U.S. pharmacies take part in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, to increase vaccinations in the U.S. in West Haven, Connecticut, February 17, 2021.
Mike Segar | Reuters
Walmart pharmacist Carmine Pascarella administers a Moderna coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine for local resident Jeff Stone inside a Walmart department store as Walmart and other major U.S. pharmacies take part in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, to increase vaccinations in the U.S. in West Haven, Connecticut, February 17, 2021.

Moderna, citing updated trial data, said its two-shot Covid-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective at protecting against Covid and more than 95% effective against severe disease up to six months after the second dose. Earlier this month, Pfizer said its vaccine, which uses technology similar to Moderna's, was around 91% over the same period. Both vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, along with J&J's, are the three that have been cleared for emergency use in the U.S.

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