Listed below are 5 key issues buyers have to know to start out the buying and selling day:
1. Rally continues
2. CEO fatally shot
Flags fly at half mast exterior the United Healthcare company headquarters on December 4, 2024 in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
Stephen Maturen | Getty Photos
Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group‘s insurance coverage unit, was fatally shot exterior the Hilton lodge in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning. New York Police Division Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated a full investigation is ongoing, however that “each indication is that this was a pre-meditated, pre-planned, focused assault.” Thompson, 50, led UnitedHealthcare, the most important personal well being insurer within the U.S., and was on the way in which to UnitedHealth Group’s investor day on the Hilton, the NYPD stated. The corporate canceled the occasion after the taking pictures.
3. Trump picks proceed
Peter Navarro, former Director of the U.S. Workplace of Commerce & Manufacturing, smiles as he speaks on Day 3 of the Republican Nationwide Conference (RNC), on the Fiserv Discussion board in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 17, 2024.
Mike Segar | Reuters
President-elect Donald Trump introduced extra senior workers picks, together with Peter Navarro for “Senior Counselor for Commerce and Manufacturing.” Beforehand a high commerce aide throughout Trump’s first time period, Navarro later served a roughly four-month sentence in a federal facility for defying a congressional subpoena from the Home choose committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Trump additionally introduced plans to appoint Paul Atkins as chair of the Securities and Alternate Fee. The transfer will change Gary Gensler, who isn’t well-liked within the cryptocurrency neighborhood for the company’s regulation-by-enforcement strategy to the trade.
4. Bitcoin’s new heights
A illustration of cryptocurrency Bitcoin is seen on this illustration taken Nov. 25, 2024.
Dado Ruvic | Reuters
The worth of bitcoin surpassed the long-awaited $100,000 milestone for the primary time Wednesday. The cryptocurrency hit a excessive of $103,844.05 and is up greater than 140% in 2024 and up 48% because the election. The transfer got here hours after President-elect Donald Trump introduced plans to appoint Paul Atkins as chair of the SEC. Crypto buyers are hopeful that Trump will ship on a number of pro-crypto initiatives, together with the institution of a nationwide strategic bitcoin reserve, no taxes on crypto transactions and opening up the crypto public fairness markets with extra IPOs.
5. A primary lawsuit
A employee kinds containers inside an Amazon supply van in San Francisco, California, on Oct. 24, 2024.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Photos
Washington, D.C.’s legal professional normal sued Amazon on Wednesday, accusing the corporate of covertly depriving residents in sure ZIP codes from entry to Prime’s high-speed supply. The lawsuit alleges that, since 2022, Amazon has “secretly excluded” two “traditionally underserved” D.C. ZIP codes from its two-day delivery service whereas charging residents the complete Prime subscription value. That yr, Amazon allegedly stopped utilizing its personal supply vans within the two ZIP codes based mostly on issues over driver security, the go well with states.
— CNBC’s Sean Conlon, Annika Kim Constantino, Gabrielle Fonrouge, Kevin Breuninger, Jeff Cox, Tanaya Macheel and Annie Palmer contributed to this report.
