Stock futures trade lower ahead of economic reports

Wednesday's economic reports will show the impact of the

coronavirus

Published 3 hours ago

By Ken MartinFOXBusiness

"U.S. equity futures are pointing to a lower open on Wednesday, ahead of economic reports that will show the impact of the coronavirus.

The major futures indexes are indicating a decline of 1.7 percent when trading begins.

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Retail sales for March will get most of the attention. The anticipated 8.0 percent decline would be the steepest monthly loss on record.

Meantime, the New York Fed’s Manufacturing Index is expected to plunge to a record-low -35.0 in April.

Industrial production for the month of March is expected to tumble 4 percent, the largest decline since September 2008 at the height of the great recession.

The NAHB’s home builder sentiment index for April is expected to plunge to 55, the lowest since May 2015.

On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund said the global economy will suffer its worst year since the Great Depression of the 1930s due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The IMF's latest forecast said this year's global economic output will shrink by 3 percent, a bigger loss than 2009's 0.1 percent decline. That was a marked reverse from the Fund's previous forecast in January of 3.3 percent growth before the virus prompted governments to shut down factories, travel and other industries."

moar:

https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/stock-futures-take-a-breather-ahead-of-economic-reports

One Arrested As Protesters Rally for North Carolina to

Reopen Despite Stay-At-Home Order

BY KATABELLA ROBERTS

April 15, 2020 Updated: April 15, 2020

"More than 100 protesters rallied outside the General Assembly in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, on Tuesday morning, lambasting Gov. Roy Cooper’s stay-at-home restrictions and calling for businesses to reopen amid the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic.

The protest, organized by Facebook group ReopenNC, saw police trying to contain demonstrators as they shunned social distancing measures and limits on public gathering to urge Cooper to lift the stay-at-home order issued on March 27 and allow non-essential businesses to reopen.

On Facebook, the group said it demands officials reopen NC “no later than April 29,” as it is “losing our small businesses, which are the backbone of our economy,” adding that the shutdown is “not warranted, nor sustainable for our area.” The group, which currently has 33,031 members said, “The vulnerable can be isolated or protected in other ways, without sacrificing our entire state economy,” and noted that “several other states have not enacted stay-at-home orders.”"

moar:

https://www.theepochtimes.com/one-arrested-as-protesters-rally-for-north-carolina-to-reopen-despite-stay-at-home-order_3312631.html