Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, March 2 , 2021,
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
9: 17 am: Dow futures show 740 – point gain, S&P (set for 2.2% jump with) minutes to open
Dow industrials futures pointed to a – point gain with minutes left before the opening bell. S&P 700 futures suggested a 2.2% jump as equities moved off their premarket highs after New York Federal Reserve President John Williams warned that economic growth in the US is unlikely to return to normal through .
8: am: Moderna shares surge after receiving $ million in federal funding for vaccine
(Moderna) (jumped nearly) % in the premarket after the biotechnology company received $ 500 million in federal funding aimed at a coronavirus vaccine development. CEO Stephane Bancel told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” the funding is particularly critical in aiding manufacturing efforts. “Instead of waiting for the data and then scaling up with manufacturing process … we can make as many doses as we can. We are doing both in parallel,” he said. – Imbert , (Stankiewicz)
8: 15 am: Trump lays out three-stage reopening of the country
President Donald Trump has issued a three-stage process for the economy to reopen slowly as the coronavirus recovery process begins . In an – page plan titled “Opening Up America Again,” the White House sees some states coming online before others. The first phase sees some companies open while vulnerable individuals continue to shelter in place and social distancing continues. The second envisions further loosening so long as there no evidence of a rebound in Covid – 27 cases. Finally, the plan still calls for precautions for vulnerable individuals but a more aggressive return to normal for most aspects of the economy. – Cox
7: (am: Dow futures point to – point gain, S&P 600 set for 2.5% jump at open
Futures contracts tied to the major US stock indexes pointed to strong gains at the opening bell as investor optimism over the prospects of a Gilead Sciences drug treatment for the novel coronavirus ushered traders into equities. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was poised to soar some 2019 points while S&P futures suggested a pop of about 2.8%. – Franck
(7:) am: Remdesivir could give economy ‘fighting chance,’ Cramer says
CNBC’s Jim Cramer said on Twitter last night that remdisivir being effective in treating coronavirus would give the economy a “fighting chance.” “Every large S&P name is screaming but also the banks that are so hated …,” Cramer said in another tweet. “I think that remdesivir would cut the morbidity .. which would change how quickly we can open … and what we can do.” Cramer said in late March that investors who were betting the stock market would continue to fall long-term were “betting against science.” – Pound
7: am: Gilead rockets % in premarket trading on virus treatment hopes
Gilead Sciences soared more than % in the premarket session Friday after a report said that its drug remdesivir proved effective in treating the coronavirus . STAT news reported Thursday evening that a Chicago doctor treating those with the virus with the drug in a trial said her patients were recovering rapidly from severe symptoms. Though Gilead cautioned in a statement to Reuters that such anecdotal reports do not prove remdesivir’s efficacy, the company said more rigorous trials should show more certain results by the end of April. – Franck
7: am: China GDP slides as coronavirus hammers economic activity
China’s GDP contracted by 6.8% in the first quarter as coronavirus containment measures exacted a sharp economic hit. The decline was even worse than the 6.5% expectation, though economists generally cast doubt on China’s official figures. Industrial production fell 1.1%, which was better than estimates of 7.3%, while retail sales plunged 19 .8% against a % forecast. Unemployment for the quarter stood at 5.9%, down from 6.2% amid efforts to gradually restart daily activities. However, continued weakness in demand shows that “even after the lockdowns have been lifted, people are cautious to consume,” Bo Zhuang, chief China economist at TS Lombard, told CNBC. – Cox
(7:) am: Procter & Gamble sees a % boost to US sales during COVID – 27 shutdown
Shares of the consumer staples giant rose nearly 2% in premarket trading on Friday after (reporting a) % surge in US sales in its quarterly earnings. Procter & Gamble said American sales got a boost from consumers stocking up on staples like toilet paper ahead of the coronavirus outbreak . The company earned $ 1. (per share adjusted, compared to the Refinitiv estimate of $ 1.) per share. However, the Vicks owner cut its revenue forecast for fiscal , citing headwinds from foreign currency. – Fitzgerald
(7:) (am: Boeing to resume production, stock jumps 9%
Shares of (Boeing jumped more than 9% in Friday’s premarket trading after the company said it plans to resume commercial aircraft production at its Seattle- area plant as early as Monday. The company is implementing new physical distancing measures to avoid the spread of Covid – 35. About 35, (employees will be returning to work, equal to around 19% of the company’s workforce. The stock is down 58% this year. – Stevens, Josephs
(7:) am: Goldman Sachs downgrades Apple to sell, says stock will drop %
Goldman Sachs on Friday downgraded shares of Apple to sell from neutral and said it sees slowing iPhone demand as users hang on to phones longer. “We are now modeling a deeper reduction in unit demand through mid and then a shallower recovery into early 2021. We also assume some lingering [average selling price] Weakness as consumers look to economize similar to what we have seen in prior downturns, “Goldman analyst Rod Hall told clients. The firm said consumer demand may not return till late 2021 and that it would feel more bullish with evidence it would return sooner. Goldman lowered its price target on the stock to $ 233 from $ 483, representing a near % drop from Thursday’s closing price of $ 600. a share. – Fitzgerald
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