10 things you need to know before the opening bell (SPY, SPX, QQQ, DIA, KO, CVS, BA, HA)

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March 7, 2018 2:16 PM

This is what traders are talking about.

Here is what you need to know.

Gary Cohn resigns as Trump's top economic adviser. Cohn's decision to resign comes as President Donald Trump forges ahead with his plan to impose tariffs on aluminum and steel imports.

Stock markets around the world are sliding. The Dow Jones industrial average is set to open lower by 350 points, or about 1.4%. Australia's ASX (-1.07%) saw the biggest overnight loss, and France's CAC (-0.49%) trails in Europe.

The US may ramp up restrictions on Chinese imports and foreign investment. The Trump administration is considering imposing an import tax on a range of Chinese goods, from clothing to electronics, and cracking down on Chinese foreign investment in retaliation for the alleged theft of US intellectual property, Bloomberg says.

Bank of America says 2 charts suggest the stock market could soar over the next 2 months. "Seasonality tends to improve in March and April," Stephen Suttmeier, a technical research analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, wrote in a client note. "The next month with more challenging seasonality is May."

Coinbase just made a big move to tap Wall Street's appetite for cryptocurrency. The cryptocurrency exchange is launching an index fund made up of 62% bitcoin, 27% Ethereum, 7% bitcoin cash, and 4% litecoin.

CVS is borrowing a near-record $40 billion to bankroll a deal that hasn't even been approved. The offering, which will be the third-biggest on record, is being done now because CVS wants to avoid the higher interest rates expected later in 2018.

Boeing just won a major victory over Airbus by poaching one of its key US customers. Hawaiian Airlines canceled its order for six Airbus A330-800neo airliners and has instead placed an order for 10 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners worth as much as $2.82 billion at list prices.

Coca-Cola is launching its first alcoholic drink. Coca-Cola Japan is launching a Chu-Hi drink, or local beverage made by mixing carbonated water with the spirit shochu and some flavoring such as lemon or lime, according to the Financial Times.

Earnings reports keep coming. Abercrombie & Fitch and Dollar Tree report ahead of the opening bell, while Costco releases its quarterly results after markets close.

US economic data flows. ADP Employment Change will be released at 8:15 a.m. ET, and the trade balance crosses the wires at 8:30 a.m. ET. The Fed's Beige Book is due out at 2 p.m. ET. The US 10-year yield is down 4 basis points at 2.85%.

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