What to watch today: U.S. stocks set for sharp drop after two down days

What to watch today: U.S. stocks set for sharp drop after two down days

BY THE NUMBERSDow and S&P 500 futures pointed to declines of 1% at Thursday's open after back-to-back losses for the first time in three weeks. There were several factors putting a pall on the markets, including spiking coronavirus cases in Europe, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin saying a stimulus deal before next month's election was going to be tough, and EU nations lining up against Big Tech. Nasdaq futures tracked for an even bigger 1.5% drop at the start of trading on Wall Street. (CNBC)* Mnuchin says he'll give ground on virus testing in stimulus negotiations with Pelosi (CNBC)* Walmart CEO Doug McMillon to Congress: Get a stimulus deal done (CNBC)The Labor Department on Thursday morning reported a higher-than-expected 898,000 new filings for unemployment benefits last week. Initial jobless claims have