Market futures are down again Monday plus stocks to watch today in the Money and Markets Wall Street Wake-Up.
The Market Open
As expected, U.S. markets opened Monday down amid continued worries surrounding unrest between the United States and Iran.
As of 9:45 a.m. Eastern time, the Nasdaq was down 0.6% while the S&P 500 opened down 0.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was off by 139 points, or 0.4% in the opening hour of trading.
The Opening Bell
U.S. markets look poised to continue losses Monday as the three major indexes were all down in premarket trading.
As of 8:45 a.m. EST, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were down 170 points, or 0.6%. The S&P 500 also was down 0.6% and the Nasdaq dipped 0.7%.
Stocks to Watch Today
Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (Nasdaq: BBBY) — The domestic merchandise retailer jumped 2.6% in premarket trading after announcing a deal to sell half its real estate to Oak Street Real Estate Capital, then lease it back — generating more than $250 million in capital for the company.
SmileDirectClub Inc. (Nasdaq: SDC) — The company specializing in direct-to-consumer dentistry was up 8.7% in premarket trading after it announced a line of oral care products that will be available exclusively at Walmart (NYSE: WMT)
Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) — The luxury department store chain jumped 1% in Monday premarket trading after JPMorgan Chase upgraded the company to “neutral” from “underweight.”
In the News
Brent crude oil — the international oil price benchmark — rose to as high as $70.74 a barrel Monday before trimming back some of those gains.
The price jumped more than 3% thanks to unrest surrounding the U.S. and Iran, according to Bloomberg.
Boeing Uncovers Another Flaw with 737 Max
A report from Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) found additional issues with its 737 Max aircraft, according to CNN Business.
The company informed the Federal Aviation Administration that two sections of wiring controlling the tail of the plane are too close together and could cause a short circuit.
Plotters Exploited Airport Security Hole in Ghosn Escape
Months before former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn escaped from Japan to Lebanon, an operative for the escape plan found something at an Osaka airport that aided in the escape, according to an exclusive report from The Wall Street Journal.
Essentially, the private jet terminal was quieter than at most other airports and basically empty unless a flight was coming in. Additionally, oversize luggage is too big to fit in airport scanners. Ghosn escaped in a large black box generally used for concert equipment, breathing through holes drilled into the bottom.
Other Morning Reads
A Stealth Social Security Cut Is Hitting 2020 Retirees (Money and Markets)
The ETF Market Will Be Stronger in 2020 and Here’s Why (Money and Markets)
Fed Focuses On Repo Market Exit Strategy After Avoiding Year-End Crunch (Reuters)
Earnings Report
Here are the companies releasing earnings reports today:
Cal-Maine Foods Inc. (Nasdaq: CALM)
Commercial Metals Co. (NYSE: CMC)
Chart of the Day
An 8-year-old earned the most money on YouTube in 2019.
According to Forbes, Texas native Ryan Kaji earned $26 million from June 1, 2018, to June 1, 2019. Another youth, Russian Anastasia Radzinskaya (5 years old) earned $18 million and was the third-highest YouTube earner last year.
Check back each morning before the opening bell for stocks to watch today with the Wall Street Wake-Up, here on Money and Markets.