|

S&P 500 futures hit record high on coronavirus vaccine hopes

US equity futures rose sharply in the last hour after Pfizer announced that the coronavirus vaccine it's been developing with BioNTech was more than 90% effective. 

Commenting on the results, "the efficacy data are really impressive. This is better than most of us anticipated. I would have been delighted with efficacy of 70% or 75%. 90% is very impressive for any vaccine," said William Schaffner, infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "The study isn't completed yet, but nonetheless, the data look very solid."

With the initial market reaction, the S&P 500 futures surged to a fresh record high of 3,648 and was last seen gaining 3.73% at 3,631. Additionally, Dow E-minis were up 2.45% and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 2.2%. Finally, Russell 2000 hit the daily limit-up on this headline.

S&P 500 15-min chart

Author

Eren Sengezer

As an economist at heart, Eren Sengezer specializes in the assessment of the short-term and long-term impacts of macroeconomic data, central bank policies and political developments on financial assets.

More from Eren Sengezer
Share:

Editor's Picks

AUD/USD hovers around 0.7050 as focus shifts to US GDP and PCE data

AUD/USD holds steady around mid-0.7000s in the Asian session on Thursday, trading just below the one-month high it touched the previous day, as November RBA rate hike bets continue to support the Australian Dollar. Meanwhile, the US Dollar reverses part of Wednesday's post-FOMC corrective slide and caps the currency pair as traders now look to US GDP and the PCE Price Index.

USD/JPY retakes 158.00 as USD stalls the post-FOMC corrective slide

USD/JPY attracts some dip-buyers during the Asian session on Thursday, climbing back above 158.00 as the US Dollar reverses part of the post-FOMC pullback from a two-week high. Bulls, however, await key US macro data – the Advance Q3 GDP and the PCE Price Index – before positioning for further gains. Focus will then shift to the crucial BoJ policy update on Friday amid firming expectations for a December rate hike.

Gold weakens below $4,050 amid renewed USD buying ahead of crucial US data

Gold slides back below $4,050 during the Asian session on Thursday, snapping a three-day winning streak. The US Dollar regains positive traction after Wednesday’s post-FOMC corrective slide as elevated energy prices keep December rate-hike bets firmly on the table. Moreover, geopolitical risks underpin the safe-haven buck, weighing on bullion as traders now look to crucial US data – the Advance Q3 GDP and the PCE Price Index.

Bitcoin volatility falls to 2023 lows, Glassnode says

Bitcoin climbed above $81,000 on Wednesday as the Federal Reserve (Fed) kept interest rates unchanged at 3.75%–4.00% in a 10–2 vote. The decision came as the top crypto's realized volatility fell to levels last seen in the summer of 2023.

Fed's recap: A cautious hold with a clear warning on inflation
The Federal Reserve (Fed) held its policy rate steady at 3.75%-4.00%, but it wasn’t a unanimous decision. Among two officials who wanted a 25-basis-point hike were Lisa Cook and Beth Hammack, while Chair Kevin Warsh said the Fed would use the coming flow of information to decide whether further action is needed. The statement presented a resilient economy.
Anthropic pledged $270 billion to Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. Here's who actually gets paid
Anthropic owes Amazon, Google, and Microsoft at least $269.4 billion for computing power, even if it uses less. All three sell its models and handle its billing, and Amazon and Google own stakes and lend it money, so they get paid regardless of how the IPO goes. The Dario Amodei-led Anthropic filed its initial public offering (IPO) on Monday, seeking a listing on the Nasdaq under the ticker ANT.