The Dow Jones today could snap a four-day winning streak on fears of a second COVID-19 wave.
Investors are also paying close attention to geopolitical news after U.S. President Donald Trump approved a deal between TikTok and Oracle Corp. (NYSE: ORCL). More on everything moving the Dow today, below.
Here are the numbers from Thursday for the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq:
Index
Previous Close
Point Change
Percentage Change
Dow Jones
27,901.98
-130.40
-0.41
S&P 500
3,357.01
-28.48
-0.84
Nasdaq
10,910.28
-140.19
-1.27
Now here are what I think will be the most important market events and stocks on Friday morning.
The Top Stock Market Stories for Monday
COVID-19 cases surpassed 30 million around the globe, according to Johns Hopkins University. Across the United States, the death toll is on the verge of surpassing 198,000 people. This week, the big news is that Israel is preparing a second shutdown due to the virus, and Europe is taking significant precautions ahead of the fall months. In the United States, experts are increasingly concerned about the potential of a second wave as we approach colder weather and the flu season.
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Finally, investors are paying close attention to events out of Washington. Lawmakers are looking to introduce a bipartisan spending deal today that will help avert a government shutdown next month. However, it remains increasingly unclear if either Republicans or Democrats can come to the table to discuss a deal to help alleviate the ongoing pain associated with COVID-19. Democrats passed a $3.5 trillion relief bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. However, Republicans have balked at a bill of that size. The White House has reportedly countered with an offer for a $2.2 trillion in spending.
Stocks to Watch Today: TSLA, ORCL, GS
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) was up another 4% after the company received an upgrade from Piper Sandler. The new price target jumped from $480 to $515. The analysts said that it expected Tesla's energy group to see a large jump in demand in the years ahead. Put bluntly, the report said: "We anticipate sharply higher demand for these products."
Shares of Oracle Corp. (NYSE: ORCL) were off more 1% after the Commerce Department announced plans to block Americans from downloading TikTok and WeChat on Sunday. The news comes as the software giant is working to become the U.S. business partner of TikTok, a subsidiary of ByteDance. The Trump administration is highly concerned that China is accessing U.S. consumer data through these vehicles.
Finally, two Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) employees have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a company report. The two employees work on different floors and both reportedly were exposed from outside the offices. Goldman is naturally concerned about these cases as more of its employees return to work, according to The New York Times.
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Garrett Baldwin is a globally recognized research economist, financial writer, consultant, and political risk analyst with decades of trading experience and degrees in economics, cybersecurity, and business from Johns Hopkins, Purdue, Indiana University, and Northwestern.