18Sep2020 Pre-Market Commentary: Global Stocks Mixed As Investors Cautious On Quadruple Witching Day, DOW Flat Down 18 Points, US Current Account Deficit Widens By $59 Billion

Here is the current market situation from CNN Money

European markets are mixed. The DAX is higher by 0.19%, while the FTSE 100 is leading the CAC 40 lower. They are down 0.45% and 0.40% respectively.

Coronavirus live updates: Israel locks down again ahead of High Holidays; EU strikes vaccine deal with Sanofi, GSK

The coronavirus has infected more than 30.2 million people globally as of Friday, killing at least 946,673 people so far.

Moderna trial investigator worries about political pressure in vaccine approval process

“My only hope is that Dr. Hahn and the political appointees in the FDA stand up and basically say, ‘No, we cannot have political pressure lead the FDA into making a decision,'” said Dr. Carlos del Rio of Emory University.

The list of countries where travelers can go live and work remotely is growing

More nations are inviting travelers to trade their home offices for the chance to live and work abroad during the global pandemic.

UPS to offer buyouts to some employees

United Parcel Service said on Thursday it was offering buyouts to some employees, as Chief Executive Carol Tomà aims to curb costs at the delivery firm.

Texas pushes forward with business reopenings as coronavirus cases, hospitalizations slide, Gov. Abbott says

The announcement marks the first time the governor has forged ahead with reopening businesses since allowing a number of them to reopen at limited capacity in May.

Stocks making the biggest moves in the premarket: Oracle, Tesla, Home Depot, Beyond Meat & more

These are the stocks posting the largest moves in the premarket, including Oracle, Tesla, Home Depot, Beyond Meat, and more.

The 2020 Emmys will be an awards show like no other: ‘How could it possibly go wrong?’

As the first major entertainment industry awards ceremony to be conducted since the coronavirus pandemic began, all eyes will be on host Jimmy Kimmel and the team at ABC on Sunday night.

Op-ed: Markets are up and the economy is down. Here are some moves investors can make

The economy has struggled since the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, yet markets have recovered from an initial plunge and are now booming again. The disconnect can be disconcerting for investors, who should rebalance, diversify and maintain realistic expectations in the face of unprecendented world events.

Airline CEOs meet with White House in last-minute plea for more coronavirus aid

U.S. airline CEOs met with a top White House official to plead for billions in more aid as the current round is set to expire.

House Democrats question findings of Kodak’s internal review in wake of botched pharma deal

“Our Committees plan to vigorously pursue our ongoing investigation into this matter, and we expect full cooperation from Kodak and the Administration,” Reps. Clyburn, Waters and Maloney said in a joint statement.

Hurricane Sally moves northeast as Florida, Alabama neighborhoods reckon with destruction

Hurricane Sally hit the coast of Alabama as slow-moving Category 2 storm and tore through the Florida Panhandle, causing massive flooding and damage.

New York City delays in-person learning for middle and high school students until October

It’s the second time Mayor Bill de Blasio has pushed back reopening classrooms for in-person instruction for this school year.

Moderna says it will begin developing a vaccine for seasonal flu

Moderna noted that vaccines generally reduce people’s risk of getting influenza by 40% to 60% compared with people who aren’t inoculated.Â

“Powerful” Hurricane Teddy Strengthens To Cat 4 With Canada In Crosshairs; Tropical Depression 22 Forms In Gulf

“Powerful” Hurricane Teddy Strengthens To Cat 4 With Canada In Crosshairs; Tropical Depression 22 Forms In Gulf Tyler Durden Fri, 09/18/2020 – 08:35

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is closely monitoring “powerful” Hurricane Teddy as it continues to churn in the Atlantic Ocean and could make landfall in Canada early next week.Â

As of 0500 ET Friday, Teddy is generating 130 mph winds (Category 4) while moving northwest at 12 mph and located about 900 miles southeast of Bermuda. The system is expected to make landfall near Nova Scotia, Canada, as a Category 2, on Tuesday/Wednesday.

“This Is Ludicrous” – Newt Gingrich Questions ‘The Soros Cover Up’

“This Is Ludicrous” – Newt Gingrich Questions ‘The Soros Cover Up’ Tyler Durden Fri, 09/18/2020 – 08:16

Authored by Newt Gingrich, op-ed via The American Mind,

Americans can’t let Twitter noise overwhelm political reality…

Commerce Department Plans To Block Downloads Of TikTok, WeChat In US

Commerce Department Plans To Block Downloads Of TikTok, WeChat In US Tyler Durden Fri, 09/18/2020 – 07:46

With the White House still ratcheting up the pressure on ByteDance and China, Reuters has just confirmed American millennials’ worst fears: That is, if a deal for American control of TikTok isn’t completed by Sunday evening in the US, the Commerce Department will move to block any future downloads of the apps in the US, a critical step toward shutting them down in the US, as President Trump has insisted.

Moments later, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told journalists that WeChat – another Chinese app targeted in one of Trump’s executive order – will be “shut down in the US” by Sept. 20 if a deal isn’t struck. He also said talks between TikTok and CFIUS are “ongoing”, suggesting that the deal is far from finished.

Futures Flat Ahead Of Quad Witching Volume Surge

Futures Flat Ahead Of Quad Witching Volume Surge Tyler Durden Fri, 09/18/2020 – 07:32

US equity futures were flat after trading in a narrow overnight range, and European and Asian markets drifted in a volume-light session ahead of Friday’s traditionally volatile quad witching session, when the expiration of options and futures send volumes soaring as big derivatives positions roll over. As Bloomberg notes, “there may be more attention than usual after a month where the red-hot trade in tech stocks wavered and options activity dominated headlines” however since there are fewer expirations this time, it may mute the impact.

UK DIY sales soar but clothing stores fall behind

The amount of retail sales continued to climb in August, but some sectors are still struggling.

Rail nationalisations may be coming down the track

Control of certain struggling franchises could be handed back to the government, sources say.

No new 2p or £2 coins to be made for 10 years

Coin mountains in storage mean The Royal Mint has no plans to produce any more for a decade.

Schools to remain closed in Delhi till Oct 5

Schools to remain closed in Delhi till Oct 5As per Directorate of Education, Delhi online classes & teaching-learning activities will continue as usual.

Shopian encounter: Army initiates proceedings

Shopian encounter: Army initiates proceedingsOn July 18, the Army claimed three militants were killed in Amshipura village in the higher reaches of south Kashmir’s Shopian district.

UP to start recruitment drives in 3 months

UP to start recruitment drives in 3 monthsAdityanath will soon hold meetings in this regard with chiefs of all commissions and recruitment boards, the official said, adding that he said it should be carried out in a manner similar to the transparent and fair recruitment done in the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission and others.

Rail Week Ending 12 September 2020 – Still In Contraction But Remains On An Improving Trendline

Written by Steven Hansen

Week 37 of 2020 shows same week total rail traffic (from same week one year ago) declined according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR) traffic data. Total rail traffic has been mostly in contraction for over one year – and now is recovering from a coronavirus pandemic.

Bond Report: U.S. Treasury yields inch lower in range bound trade

U.S. Treasury yields fell slightly in early Friday trade but remain in a tight range in the wake of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting on Wednesday.

Need to Know: Tech bubble? Credit Suisse strategists say ‘no’ but say it’s time to get pickier with these stocks

Strategists at Credit Suisse say the word “bubble” isn’t appropriate for the tech sector, but say it’s time to get pickier.

IPO Report: Pactiv Evergreen begins trading below IPO price and sinks further

Pactiv Evergreen’s first trade was at $12.75, below the IPO price of $14, which was lower than the expected range of $18 to $21.