What to watch today: S&P 500 to try again to close at a record high

What to watch today: S&P 500 to try again to close at a record high

BY THE NUMBERSU.S. stock futures were pointing to gains at Tuesday's open after two Dow component retailers, Walmart (WMT) and Home Depot (HD), reported stronger earnings. The S&P 500 finished Monday's session just over 4 points below its last closing record of 3,386.15 on Feb. 19. The S&P 500 has rebounded more than 50% since hitting its coronavirus-driven low of 2,191.86 on March 23. (CNBC)Before the opening bell on Wall Street, at 8:30 a.m. ET, the government issues housing starts for July. Economists expect a 4.6% gain to an annual rate of 1.24 million units. Housing starts surged 17.3% in June. (CNBC)IN THE NEWS TODAYShares of Walmart, which logged an all-time high Monday, rose as much as 6% in the premarket after the company blew away expectations with adjusted per-share earnings of $1.56 on