10 things you need to know before the opening bell

Reuters / Juan Medina

Here is what you need to know.

Morgan Stanley beats on fourth-quarter earnings despite big hit to trading revenues. The firm reported adjusted earnings of $0.84 a share, exceeding the consensus analyst estimate of $0.77 a share.

Apple appears to be bringing nearly $245 billion home from overseas. The company said on Wednesday that it will make about $38 billion in tax payments to bring funds kept overseas back to the United States under new federal tax laws.

Bitcoin is making a comeback. The cryptocurrency, which slipped below the key technical level of $10,000 overnight, has now rebounded almost 20% from that low. The buying has also extended to all major altcoins.

There's one chart that explains what's driving the stock market's record-breaking explosion. It shows the degree to which the S&P 500 has tracked corporate earnings revisions, with a recent spike in the latter helping the index to new all-time highs.

Apple is taking a page out of Amazon's playbook by teasing its new campus. The company announced on Wednesday, among other initiatives, that it plans to build a new campus in the US, as part of an effort to hire 20,000 new Apple employees over the next five years.

Buses carrying Apple and Google workers had their windows broken in a series of targeted highway attacks. The incidents happened in both the morning and evening on both directions of Highway 280, between the cities of Woodside and Cupertino, where Apple is headquartered.

What 12 major analysts from banks like Goldman, JPMorgan, and Morgan Stanley think of bitcoin. Their takes vary, with some considering it worthless, while others sees practical uses for it.

Stock markets around the world are stronger. China's Shanghai Composite (+0.87%) surged, while Germany's DAX (+0.43%) climbed. The S&P 500 is set to open unchanged near 2,804.50.

Earnings reports continue to be released. Morgan Stanley has already reported, while Bank of New York Mellon and BB&T are also set ot report before the market open. American Express and IBM are due to announced quarterly earnings after the market close.