5 things to know before the stock market opens Wednesday

5 things to know before the stock market opens Wednesday

Here's the most important news, trends and analysis that investors need to start their trading day:1. Stocks set to pause after record sessionStocks looked to take a breather on Wednesday following a banner day on Wall Street. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were down just 32 points, or 0.1%. S&P 500 futures hovered along the flatline and Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 0.3%. On Tuesday, the Dow soar passed 30,000 for the first time, and the S&P 500 notched a record closing high. The small-caps Russell 2000 also jumped to a record in the previous session. Trading volumes are expected to be lower than normal on Wednesday a day ahead of the Thanksgiving Day holiday, which could lead to some volatile moves. 2. Fed minutes, jobless claims aheadUS Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell holds a news conference after a Federal Open Market Committee meeting in Washington, DC, December 19, 2018.Jim Watson | AFP | Getty ImagesWall Street braced for the release of the minutes from the Federal Reserve's meeting earlier this month as traders look for clues on what the central bank has planned for its bond-buying program. Speculation among market participants had been building about the Fed tweaking the