10 things you need to know before the opening bell
Here's what you need to know before markets open.
1. Global stocks slide as investors weigh downbeat Fed minutes and surging coronavirus cases in Germany. Asian indexes slid more than 1%, as did European stocks, while the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq are all set for a negative open.
2. A senior Fed official says 'Wall Street has called this about right' after stocks rally to record highs even as fears persist about US economic health. James Bullard, the president of the St. Louis Fed, said in an interview with Reuters that the US stock market hitting all-time highs might seem out of touch with the reality of COVID-19, but that Wall Street's record-breaking rally actually makes a lot of sense.
3. Legendary investor Mark Mobius says investors should steer clear of gold until its price drops. At a time when gold has caused a flurry of buying from investors to keen not to miss out on the precious metal's record rally, legendary investor Mark Mobius has some advice: Stay clear of it until a correction takes place.
4. Wirecard has been kicked out of Germany's benchmark stock index, the latest embarrassment in its $2 billion scandal. Scandal-ridden German fintech Wirecard will no longer be a member of the DAX 30 after August 24, regulators said.
5. A $5 billion chief market strategist shares 5 post-pandemic stocks to buy now for gains as COVID-19 cases level off — and 2 big-tech winners to start cashing out of. As COVID-19 cases begin to level off nationwide and pharmaceutical companies race toward a vaccine, some on Wall Street are becoming skeptical about how long the relentless bull market that mega-cap tech companies have enjoyed can last.
6. A JPMorgan equity chief sees stocks staying rangebound for another year, even if there's a vaccine breakthrough — but says investors can still get big returns in these 11 regions and sectors. Smaller companies were hit harder by the coronavirus pandemic than their bigger peers were, and their recovery might be a lot slower.
7. Jefferies says buy these 7 back-to-school stocks poised for big returns with much of the US going remote. With a global pandemic still in full swing, many are gearing up to study from the comfort of their own homes rather than risk possible exposure in crowded hallways or classrooms.
8. Warren Buffett advised Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky to 'get rich slow.' Chesky sped things up on Wednesday by filing to take his home-rental company public, despite the coronavirus pandemic continuing to weigh on its business.
9. Earnings coming in. Goldfields and Banco de Bogota Q2 20 earnings are coming in.
10. On the economic front. US initial jobless claims and EIA Natural Gas Storage Change data are due.