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U.S. stock futures are edging lower in pre-market trading after tech stocks helped fuel a Christmas Eve rally; MicroStrategy (MSTR) stock is falling after a big jump from the bitcoin buyer as it plans to issue more shares; Uber (UBER) shares are little changed after government regulators in Taiwan blocked the company's proposed takeover of competitor Foodpanda; American Airlines (AAL) shares are down slightly after the air carrier suffered a brief grounding of its flights; and Netflix (NFLX) shares are edging higher after its Christmas Day broadcast of NFL football games. Here's what investors need to know today.
1. Stock Futures Fall After Christmas Eve Rally
After tech stocks helped push markets higher in Christmas Eve trading, stock futures are lower in pre-market trading, with Nasdaq, S&P 500, and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures down about 0.3%. The decline comes after the Nasdaq gained more than 1% on Tuesday to recover losses from the prior week. Treasury yields are edging higher, with the 10-year Treasury note yield at 4.629%. Bitcoin (BTCUSD) is lower by more than 3% at around $95,601. Oil futures are slightly higher, with the price of WTI crude at $70.37 per barrel.
2. Taiwan Blocks Uber’s Takeover of Foodpanda Delivery Service
Taiwan blocked Uber's (UBER) planned $950 million takeover of Foodpanda delivery operations on the island, according to The Wall Street Journal. Regulators said Foodpanda was Uber’s main competition on the island and that a merger of the two services could lead to increased prices for customers while also limiting other competitors from entering the market. Uber had announced in May the deal to acquire Foodpanda’s Taiwan delivery operation from its parent company, Germany-based Delivery Hero.
3. American Airlines Resumes Flights After Brief Grounding on Christmas Eve
American Airlines (AAL) shares are little changed to slightly lower in pre-market trading after the air carrier briefly grounded flights on Christmas Eve due to a technical issue with a vendor. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded American Airlines flights at the carrier’s request early Tuesday, but lifted the order by around 8 a.m. ET. Christmas Eve is one of the busiest travel days in the U.S.
4. MicroStrategy Stock Pulls Back After Gains on Plans to Issue More Stock
MicroStrategy (MSTR) shares are down close to 3% in pre-market trading after the bitcoin buyer surged on plans to issue more shares, potentially allowing it to add more of the cryptocurrency to its portfolio. MicroStrategy shares gained 7.8% in the prior session after it filed with the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Dec. 23 to increase its amount of authorized shares. MicroStrategy also announced it had purchased $561 million worth of the cryptocurrency in the period from Dec. 16 to Dec. 22.