Below are the most important news, trends and analyzes that investors need to start their trading day:
1. S&P futures rise after the index closes at another record
The Wall Street sign is seen outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York on February 16, 2021.
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
2. Initial unemployment claims increased last week
A woman walks in front of a store on February 22, 2021 in New York City.
John Smith | Corbis News | Getty Images
The Department of Labor on Thursday reported 744,000 new applications for unemployment benefits last week. This was a higher level of initial unemployment claims than expected and increased 16,000 from the revised total upward from the previous week. The latest claims data comes almost a week after a more aggressive sign of healing in the labor market, as non-farm payrolls in March rose by 916,000 while the unemployment rate fell to 6%.
3. Biden will disclose actions against firearms, including the new director of ATF
President Joe Biden speaks during an event at the American Jobs Plan at the South Court Auditorium, on the White House campus, on Wednesday, April 7, 2021 in Washington.
Evan Vucci | AP
President Joe Biden is expected to unveil a series of executive actions Thursday to tackle gun violence after a wave of mass shootings. Despite taking his first major steps toward cracking down on firearms since taking office, the president will also appoint gun control advocate and former federal agent David Chipman as director of the ATF, according to senior officials of the Biden administration. These officials said the Justice Department would issue a new rule proposal to require buyers of homemade weapons (often made from parts and without serial numbers) to undergo background checks.
4. Biden is open to negotiating the corporate tax hike
Workers operate a front-end loader while doing infrastructure repairs on April 7, 2021 in San Francisco, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
Biden said Wednesday that it is willing to negotiate a proposal to raise the corporate tax rate to 28% to help pay for its more than two trillion-dollar infrastructure plan. “I’m willing to listen,” the president said. However, Biden faces pressure from Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, who has already come out against 28% of companies. In a 50- to 50-year-old Senate, Manchin’s vote could make a difference. West Virginia lawmaker said Wednesday she opposes a process that makes it easier to pass laws without Republican support.
5. Amazon’s union drive in Alabama features 55% of voters
People are protesting to support the union efforts of Alabama Amazon workers in Los Angeles, California, on March 22, 2021.
Lucy Nicholson | Reuters
The vote count in a high-stakes vote on whether to unionize one of Amazon’s Alabama stores could begin as soon as Thursday. More than 3,200 votes were cast, a turnout of approximately 55%, which is higher than initially estimated by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. Voting in Bessemer has been closely monitored inside and outside Amazon, as it could establish the first union in one of the e-commerce giant’s warehouses in the U.S., Amazon workers in many European nations are already unionized.
– Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. Follow all the actions of the market as a professional CNBC Pro. Get the news about the pandemic with CNBC Coronavirus Blog.