- 1. Stock futures little changed after Dow, S&P 500 set records
- 2. Pfizer CEO: COVID-19 vaccine booster 'likely' necessary within 12 months
- 3. Jobless claims decline to another pandemic low
- 4. U.S. sanctions Russia over hacking, election meddling
- 5. China posts record quarterly growth in rebound from pandemic low
1. Stock futures little changed after Dow, S&P 500 set records
U.S. stock futures were flat early Friday, struggling for traction after the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 34,000 for the first time in history. The Dow gained 305 points or 0.9 percent with a boost from strong corporate earnings and economic data. The S&P 500 rose by 1.1 percent. It also closed at a record high, its 22nd of the year. The tech-heavy Nasdaq surged by 1.3 percent, with a boost from big tech companies whose gains lifted all three of the main U.S. indexes. Investors viewed better-than-expected employment and retail sales data as signs the economy is improving with help from lower coronavirus infection numbers and a new round of stimulus checks. "Economic data is going to continue to get better and better and better as the economy opens up," said Tom Mantione, managing director at UBS Private Wealth Management.
2. Pfizer CEO: COVID-19 vaccine booster 'likely' necessary within 12 months
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3. Jobless claims decline to another pandemic low
4. U.S. sanctions Russia over hacking, election meddling
5. China posts record quarterly growth in rebound from pandemic low
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