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Here's what you need to know before the markets open. 1. 'Ease and cut rate big': Trump pressures Fed to slash interest rates as coronavirus threat grows. "Our Federal Reserve has us paying higher rates than many others, when we should be paying less," the president tweeted. 2. Stocks soar on hopes that stimulus will counter coronavirus, but analysts warn the worst may be yet to come. "The US and Chinese economic numbers are bound to print horrible readings and investors aren't going to like it," one analyst said. 3. World finance officials will consider how to cushion economies against coronavirus. G7 central bankers and finance ministers will discuss their monetary and fiscal policy responses during a call on Tuesday. 4. The ECB is reportedly working on a lending scheme for coronavirus-hit companies. The European Central Bank is discussing a targeted longer-term refinancing operation (TLTRO) directed at small- and medium-sized enterprises in the eurozone, Reuters reported, citing three sources. 5. OPEC ministers will meet in Vienna to discuss the coronavirus threat to oil demand. The oil exporters are considering cutting oil production by 1 million barrels per day (bpd), more than their initial proposed cut of 600,000 bpd. 6. BMW says coronavirus hit China sales but sticks to its 2020 global target. "There has been a significant impact in China," CEO Oliver Zipse told journalists on a conference call. 7. Elon Musk is vowing to support Twitter boss Jack Dorsey against the activist hedge fund trying to oust him. "Just want to say that I support @jack as Twitter CEO," the Tesla CEO tweeted after Elliott Management ramped up its campaign to replace Dorsey. 8. Stocks are up. In Europe, Germany's DAX rose 1.9%, Britain's FTSE 100 rose 1.7%, and the Euro Stoxx 50 rose 1.7%. In Asia, China's Shanghai Composite rose 0.7%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.2%, and South Korea's KOSPI rose 0.6%. US stocks are set to open higher with futures underlying the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq up 0.4% to 0.7%. 9. Earnings season rolls on. Target and Kohl's are the highlights. 10. It's Super Tuesday. Keep an eye on who pulls ahead in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. |