U.S. stock futures were trending higher on Wednesday as jitters around Evergrande eased after the Chinese property developer said it could pay a coupon on one of its bonds. Investors remain focused on the Federal Reserve’s policy decision later in the day as tapering concerns ease.
Dow futures were up 0.67%, S&P futures were up 0.60%, and Nasdaq futures were up 0.39% at the time of writing.
Navios Maritime Acquisition Corp. (NNA), Four Seasons Education (Cayman) Inc. (FEDU), and New Frontier Health Corp. (NFH) are set to report their quarterly earnings before the market opens. BlackBerry Ltd (BB), HB Fuller Co. (FUL), and GreenTree Hospitality Group Ltd (GHG) will report after the market close.
Marin Software Incorporated (MRIN) was the most active stock in the pre-market session, with 2.09 million shares changing hands at the time of writing. The stock was also up about 78% after confirmation that the company has entered into a revenue-sharing agreement with Google LLC to develop enterprise tech platforms and software products.
Aethlon Medical Inc. (AEMD) was one of the biggest gainers in the pre-market session, jumping 22.63% at the time of writing. It is still unclear what is causing the stock to spike as no fundamental news has been released to justify the pop.
Rewalk Robotics (RWLK) was one of the biggest losers in the pre-market session, dropping 18.15% at the time of writing.
Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Google will strengthen its foothold in New York with the acquisition of the St. John’s Terminal in Manhattan for $2.1 billion. The property will house the company’s Hudson Square campus, allowing the tech giant to continue taking advantage of the city’s world-class talent, vitality, and creativity. The transaction should close in the first quarter of 2022.
JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM) has confirmed the acquisition of the college financial planning platform, Frank. With the acquisition, the financial services company intends to expand its capabilities for students and their families by helping them prepare for college. The financial terms of the deal remain under wraps.
Roku, Inc. (ROKU) is set to expand its footprint into the e-commerce space. The company intends to launch an exclusive app that will allow Shopify merchants to build TV streaming advertising campaigns. The app should launch ahead of the busy holiday season.
Square, Inc. (SQ) has launched an integrated and omnichannel business solution in France. With the new solution, businesses in the country will process transactions efficiently and with ease. The offering will also allow merchants to run their businesses end-to-end with integrated software, hardware, and data analytics.
Meanwhile, e-commerce giant Amazon (AMZN) is teaming up with technology-enabled small business lender Lendistry to launch a community lending program. Amazon Community Lending will allow small and medium-sized businesses to access short-term loans of up to $100,000 at competitive and affordable rates. Borrowers will enjoy rates of between 8% and 9.9%.
