Dow Futures Gain As Trump Rattles Markets With COVID Relief Bill Criticism; Weekly

The Wednesday Market Minute

• Global stocks post modest gains in holiday-thinned trading even as President Donald Trump refuses to sign the long-delay COVID relief bill.
• Trump called the $2.3 billion package, which includes $900 billion on COVID spending, a ‘disgrace’ and insists lawmakers boost the $600 support payment to $2,000.
• House Democrats say they’re willing to re-work the deal, but Republican leaders in the Senate may be more reluctant.
• Brexit negotiations continue ahead of the December 31 deadline amid contradictory headlines on progress between London and Brussels.
• Health officials warn that the new COVID variant may have already arrived in the U.S., where cases are rising at a 200,000 daily pace and fatalities are nearing 325,000.
• U.S. equity futures suggest a firmer open on Wall Street after data showing weekly jobless claims fell to 803,000 while durable goods orders posted seven consecutive months of gains.

U.S. equity futures edged higher Wednesday in holiday-thinned trading as bullish sentiment held steady even as President Donald Trump refused to sign a $2.3 billion spending bill that would provide nearly a trillion dollars worth of relief to struggling businesses and families around the country.