U.S. equity futures extended their gains on Thursday, as investors continue to shrug off Omicron concerns.
Both S&P 500 and the DOW Jones Industrial average are poised to close at record highs, making 2021 the strongest year for stocks since 1995.
Weekly jobless claims came in less than expected at 198,000–a 52 year low.
Meanwhile, bullish sentiment continued to prevailed, even as the pandemic threatens China. Meanwhile, there are still growing concerns about the global supply shortage, especially in the semiconductor and microchip industry.
| Level | Chg. | Chg. % | |
| DOW Futures | 36,433.00 | 51 | 0.14% |
| S&P 500 Futures | 4,793.25 | 8.75 | 0.18% |
| Nasdaq Futures | 16,529.25 | 39.5 | 0.24% |
U.S. Dollar and Treasuries
The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell two basis points. The dollar strengthened against a basket of major currencies.
| Price | Chg. | Chg. % | |
| U.S. Dollar Index (DXY): | 95.96 | +0.03 | +0.03% |
| Yield | Change | Previous close | |
| U.S. 1 Year Treasury Bill | 0.379% | 0.002 | 0.378% |
| U.S. 5 Year Treasury Note | 1.278% | -0.021 | 1.299% |
| U.S. 10 Year Treasury Note | 1.535% | -0.022 | 1.557% |
Stocks To Watch
Shares of the pharmaceutical company Biogen collapsed after Samsung Biologics denied reports that it is discussing a takeover of the company. The reports had Biogen valued at about $42 billion and had shares soar almost 10%.
Shares of Johnson & Johnson rose as the company released data showing that its booster shot reduces the risk of hospitalization from Omicron.
Chinese ride-sharing company Didi Global reported a decline in Q3 revenues. The company, which is delisting from the New York stock exchange, suffered as a result of a Chinese crackdown.
| Symbol | Company Name | Price | Chg. % | Volume |
| DIDI | Didi Global Inc. ADR. | $4.77 | -3.44% | 456.9K |
| JNJ | Johnson & Johnson | $172.11 | 0.33% | 3.6K |
| BIIB | Biogen Inc. | $241.24 | -6.61% | 52.99K |
Commodities To Watch
Oil prices slipped on lower demand after China reduced its import quotas. Gold was stable.
| Resource | Price | Chg. % |
| WTI Crude Oil | $76.18 | -0.50% |
| Brent Crude Oil | $78.84 | -0.47% |
| Natural Gas | $3.81 | -0.96% |
| Gold | $1,802.70 | -0.17% |
| Silver | $22.78 | -0.34% |
| Copper | $4.41 | -0.02% |
Crypto
Crypto markets recovered slightly from Wednesday’s selloff. The global crypto market cap is $2.23T, a 1.42% increase over the last day. Bitcoin’s dominance is currently 40.32%, an increase of 0.13% over the same period.
| Currency | Symbol | Price | Chg. % | Market Cap. |
| Bitcoin | BTC | $47,722.89 | +1.62% | 902.68b |
| Etherium | ETH | $3,749.98 | +0.19% | 444.65b |
| Binance coin | BNB | $526.62 | -0.51% | 79.17b |
| Solana | SOL | $175.51 | +1.52% | 54.29b |
| Cardano | ADA | $ 1.369 | -0.05% | 42.60b |
