10 things you need to know before the opening bell

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10 things you need to know before the opening bell
Trump rally

Lev Radin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

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Here's what you need to know before the markets open.

1. 'Big price to pay!': Trump blasts 3M after ordering the N95 mask maker to boost US production. "We hit 3M hard today after seeing what they were doing with their Masks."

2. 'A taste of things to come': Italian services activity plunges to 11-year low as national lockdown weighs. IHS Markit's Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) reading shrank to 17.4 in March from 52.1 in February.

3. 'The Big Short again': A hedge fund boss and Warren Buffett disciple posted a 40% gain during the market meltdown. Crescat Capital's Kevin Smith delivered gains of 40.5% and 34.3% in two key funds as stocks plunged.

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4. OPEC+ debates biggest-ever cut as virus destroys oil demand. Major oil producers are planning to cut output by the equivalent of about 10% of global supply, Reuters reported.

5. Air France-KLM is in talks on massive, state-backed loan package. The French carrier could get as much as 4 billion euros in French-guaranteed loans while the Dutch airline might net 2 billion, Reuters said.

6. UK faces Depression-style hit as firms slump in March. The composite PMI reading for manufacturing and services activity tumbled to 36.0 from 53.0 in February.

7. Airbus weighs sharp cut in A320-family jet production. The aircraft manufacturer could halve output to 30 of the planes a month for one to two quarters, sources told Reuters.

8. Stocks are mixed. In Europe, Germany's DAX rose 0.3%, Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.7%, and the Euro Stoxx 50 was flat. In Asia, China's Shanghai Composite fell 0.6% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.2%, while Japan's Nikkei was flat. In the US, futures underlying the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq fell between 0.4% and 0.6%.

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9. Earnings keep coming. Constellation Brands and H&M are two highlights.

10. It's jobs day. Nonfarm payrolls will be closely watched.

NOW WATCH: 3.3 million Americans filed for unemployment - and an economist predicts it could be far worse than the Great Recession

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