10 things you need to know before the opening bell
The World Bank says global growth will pick up slightly in 2017. The World Bank has lowered its 2017 global growth forecast to 2.7% from its June outlook of 2.8%, but that would still be ahead of the 2.3% growth that was experienced in 2016.
US oil output is expected to rise in 2017 and 2018. A report released by the US Energy Information Administration on Tuesday showed US crude oil production is expected to increase by 110,00 barrels per day in 2017 to 9 million bpd and by another 300,000 bpd in 2018. West Texas Intermediate crude oil is higher by 0.8% at $51.20 per barrel.
The Turkish lira tumbles to another record low. The currency is down 2% at 3.8657 per dollar, running its 2017 loss to about 9% just eight trading days into the new year. The lira slumped 17% in 2016.
Francois Fillon is ahead in the French polls. The conservative former prime minister holds a 64% to 36% edge over far right leader Marine Le Pen and a 52% to 48% lead overindependent Emmanuel Macron. The runoff is scheduled for May.
Italy's 5-Star Movement has reentered its alliance with UKIP. The anti-establishment party was rejected in its bid to form an alliance with pro-EU Liberals, and has reentered its alliance with the UK's UKIP party, Reuters says.
The US has charged 3 FX traders over currency rigging. Traders Richard Usher, who worked at Royal Bank of Scotland and JPMorgan, Rohan Ramchandani, an-ex Citi banker, and Christopher Ashton, a former employee of Barclays, were charged with "conspiring to fix prices and rig bids for US dollars and euros exchanged in the FX spot market," the DoJ said in a statement.
Jeff Gundlach says the bond bull market is dead if the 10-year hits 3.00%. During the presentation of his 2017 outlook, Gundlach said a move to 3.00% and above would have "a real impact on market liquidity in corporate bonds and junk bonds."
Part of the New York Stock Exchange is going electronic. Floor trading on the New York Stock Exchange's NYSE MKT exchange, which lists about 250 small cap names, will soon be fully automated thanks to new technology, Reuters reports, citing a regulatory filing.
Stock markets around the world are higher. Hong Kong's Hang Seng (+0.8%) paced the gains in Asia and Germany's DAX (+0.3%) is out front in Europe. The S&P 500 is set to open little changed near 2,268.
Earnings reports trickle out. KB Homes will report after markets close.