Nasdaq surges to record ahead of coronavirus stimulus talks

S&P 500 snapped its 4-day skid

The Nasdaq Composite rallied to a record Tuesday as investors weighed the latest proposal for COVID-19 relief.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has already spoken to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, was scheduled to meet with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer after the closing bell. Mnuchin was also expected to attend.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
I:COMP NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX 19174.297336 +119.46 +0.63%

The tech-heavy Nasdaq surged 1.25%, edging out its record-high close helped by a jump in Apple Inc. after it asked suppliers to increase iPhone production by 30% in the first half of 2021 to 96 million units, according to a Nikkei report citing people familiar with the matter.  Chip stocks also rose in tandem.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
AAPL APPLE INC. 235.06 +2.19 +0.94%
AMD ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES INC. 137.72 -3.41 -2.42%
XLNX NO DATA AVAILABLE - - -

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, meanwhile climbed 339 points, or 1.14%, while the S&P 500 added 1.3%. Both of the indexes finished just shy of their own all-time highs. The advance snapped the S&P 500's four-day losing streak, which was the longest since September.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
I:DJI DOW JONES AVERAGES 44860.31 +123.74 +0.28%
SP500 S&P 500 6021.63 +34.26 +0.57%

A group of bipartisan lawmakers put forth two bills, totaling $908 billion, for coronavirus relief. The plan includes a $748 billion package that extends an additional $300 billion for Paycheck Protection Program loans and gives an extra $300 per week in federal unemployment benefits. A second bill, totaling $160 billion, grants aid to state and local governments and provides protections for businesses.

$300 BILLION OF M&A TO BE UNLEASHED BY BLANK-CHECK DEALS

Looking at stocks, Moderna Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine has no specific safety concerns that would preclude emergency use authorization approval, according to a briefing published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff. Data from the vaccine’s clinical study will be reviewed Thursday.

MODERNA GETS FAVORABLE FDA VACCINE NOD AHEAD OF FORMAL APPROVAL

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
MRNA MODERNA INC. 42.05 -1.61 -3.69%

Shares of companies benefitting most from a reopening of the economy-- including airlines and cruise operators--gained.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
JETS ETF SERIES SOLUTIONS U S GLOBAL JETS ETF USD 24.39 -0.27 -1.09%
CCL CARNIVAL CORP. 25.34 +0.15 +0.60%
RCL ROYAL CARIBBEAN GROUP 244.50 +4.11 +1.71%

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In mergers and acquisitions, Eli Lily & Co. reached an agreement to buy Prevail Therapeutics for $1.06 billion, or $22.50 per share. The deal represents an 80% premium to where Prevail shares settled Monday.

CEO David Ricks told FOX Business the company is "quite interested in gene therapy" as the deal gives the drugmaker a leading treatment for Parkinson's disease.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
LLY ELI LILLY & CO. 789.66 +35.50 +4.71%
PRVL NO DATA AVAILABLE - - -

Energy majors Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. ended mixed as West Texas Intermediate crude oil added 63 cents to $47.62 per barrel, trading near its highest level since March.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
XOM EXXON MOBIL CORP. 117.98 -2.01 -1.68%
CVX CHEVRON CORP. 162.56 +2.18 +1.36%

Meanwhile, gold climbed $23.60 to $1,852.30 an ounce.

In Europe, Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.28% while France’s CAC 40 ticked up 0.04% and Germany’s DAX 30 added 1.06%.

Asian markets ended lower across the board with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng losing 0.69%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 falling 0.16% and China’s Shanghai Composite slipping 0.06%.