- Stock futures drop after US officials call for pause of J&J vaccine rollout.
- In addition, markets look to key U.S. inflation data.
- The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield inched closer to 1.7%.
- Bitcoin set new record, trading above $63,000.
- Altimeter Growth, Johnson & Johnson, FedEx & more making the biggest moves in the premarket
(April 13) Stock futures sank Tuesday morning after U.S. federal health officials called for a pause in the rollout of Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ) COVID-19 vaccine amid concerns over rare blood clots in some individuals who received the inoculation.
At 8:05 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis were down 110 points, or 0.33%, S&P 500 E-minis were down 10.5 points, or 0.25% and Nasdaq 100 E-minis were down 6.5 points, or 0.05%.
The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield inched closer to 1.7% before the Labor Department’s data that is expected to show U.S. consumer prices rose 0.5% in March from 0.4% in February. The report is due at 8:30 a.m. ET (1230 GMT).
Among stocks, U.S.-listed shares of e-commerce firm JD.com and search giant Baidu fell about 2% each in premarket trading as China’s market regulator warned internet companies to stop using any banned practices.
Cryptocurrency and blockchain-related firms including Riot Blockchain and Marathon Digital Holdings jumped 9% and 8% as bitcoin prices soared 4.5%, a day ahead of listing of Coinbase, the largest U.S. cryptocurrency exchange.
Stocks making the biggest moves in the premarket: Altimeter Growth, Johnson & Johnson, FedEx & more:
1) Altimeter Growth(AGC) — Southeast Asia's ride-hailing giant Grab isgoing public via a SPAC mergerwith Altimeter Growth, valued at nearly $40 billion. Grab says it intends to list on the Nasdaq under ticker symbol "GRAB" following the deal's completion. Altimeter's shares surged nearly 9% in premarket trading.
2) Johnson & Johnson(JNJ) — Shares of the drugmaker fell 2.8% in the premarket after the Food and Drug Administrationsaid it is asking states to pauseadministering J&J's Covid-19 vaccine after six people in the U.S. developed a rare disorder involving blood clots. The FDA said the recommendation is "out of an abundance of caution."Modernashares popped more than 7% in early trading on the news.
3) FedEx(FDX) — Shares of the shipping company rose in premarket trading about KeyBanc Capital Markets upgraded FedEx to "overweight." The Wall Street firm also set a $350 per share price target on FedEx. KeyBanc said FedEx can still grow volume even with the return to in-person shopping.
4) JetBlue(JBLU),Spirit Airlines(SAVE) — Shares of the airlines popped in premarket trading after Susquehanna Financial Group upgraded JetBlue and Spirit Airlines to “positive.” “With a recovery in U.S. domestic air travel underway, we want to own the low-cost carriers,” the firm’s analyst told clients.
5) Booking Holdings(BKNG) — The travel company gained in premarket trading after Jefferies upgraded Booking to “buy” from “hold” on a rebound in global travel. The first also hiked its 12-month price target to $2,800 per share from $2,300 per share.
6) 3M(MMM) — Shares of the manufacturing giant edged lower in the premarket after Deutsche Bank added a “catalyst call” sell on 3M. The Wall Street firm said the stock has curiously outperformed in recent weeks despite Deutsche Bank’s expectation for a miss on upcoming earnings.
7) NortonLifeLock(NLOK) — The security company dipped in premarket trading after Bank of America initiated the stock with an “underperform” rating and a $19 per share price target. “Last year’s COVID-related spike in demand may unwind in the next few quarters and the company may return to negative trends in churn and subscriber additions, negatively impacting the revenue growth,” the firm said.
8) Honeywell(HON) — Shares of Honeywell rose in premarket trade after Deutsche Bank put a catalyst call “buy” rating on the stock. The firm said investors are unenthusiastic about Honeywell, despite a recovery taking hold.
9) Bristol-Myers Squibb(BMY) — Shares of the pharmaceutical company rose in the premarket about Truist upgraded Bristol-Myers Squibb to “buy” from “hold” with a $74 per share price target. The Wall Street firm said it likes Bristol-Myers Squibb’s drug pipeline.