Here are 4 tips for today's trading. This will help you decide where you should invest and what to look for:
1. Investors look to Super Tuesday for U.S. election clarity
1. Investors look to Super Tuesday for U.S. election clarity
Donald Trump could extend his lead as the front-runner to be the Republican contender for the U.S. presidency on Tuesday, when voters in 11 U.S. states choose among the candidates. The idea of Trump in the White House is a worrying one for some investors who balk at his populist, unpredictable style.
On the Democrats side, front-runner Hillary Clinton is poised to win in landslides in roughly a dozen state races, which should give her the Democratic nomination.
2. Global market overview
2. Global market overview
U.S. stock futures are moving up. European markets are climbing in early trading and Asian markets ended with gains.
Oil prices continue to edge higher, trading around $34 per barrel. Investors around the world freaked out when oil prices plummeted to a 13-year low of $26.05 a barrel on February 11. But prices have since surged by 30%.
Investors brushed off the latest Chinese manufacturing data showing factories experienced a slump in February. It's the latest sign that the world's second-largest economy is continuing to cool down.
3. Chinese, European factories hit hard in February
3. Chinese, European factories hit hard in February
Weak Chinese manufacturing activity data released earlier underlined concerns over the health of the world’s second largest economy and raised hopes of additional stimulus measures in the near-term to support growth.
The official China manufacturing purchasing managers' index fell to a three-year low of 49.0 in February from 49.4 a month earlier, below expectations for 49.3. Meanwhile, the Caixin manufacturing purchasing managers’ index came in at 48.0 last month, contracting for the 12th straight month.
In Europe, manufacturing activity in the euro zone expanded at its weakest pace in a year, bolstering the case for another strong dose of stimulus from the European Central Bank next week.
Elsewhere, U.K. manufacturing activity expanded at the slowest rate in nearly three years in February, underlining concerns over the economic outlook and dimmed the case for higher interest rates.
The U.S. Institute of Supply Management is to release data on February manufacturing activity at 15:00GMT, or 10:00AM ET, on Tuesday. The gauge is expected to ease up 0.4 points to 48.6. Anything below 50.0 signals contraction.
4. Monday market recap
4. Monday market recap
It was a downbeat day on Monday. The Dow Jones industrial average and Nasdaq each shed 0.7%, while the S&P 500 sunk 0.8%.
