What to watch today: S&P 500 set to open above its record close level

What to watch today: S&P 500 set to open above its record close level

BY THE NUMBERSU.S. stock futures rose Thursday, one day after the S&P 500 finished just 1 point shy of last week's record close, while the Nasdaq did finish at another record. The Dow Jones Industrial Average on Wednesday dropped modestly but remained less than 64 points away from its record from earlier this month. Heading into the new trading day, Wall Street watches the government's jobless claims data, coronavirus stimulus talks in Washington and a FDA advisory panel's meeting on Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine. (CNBC)Even as strong as the Nasdaq's over 40% rise has been in 2020, it's nowhere near the 370% surge this year for bitcoin, which early Thursday shot up to a new all-time high above $23,600. Behind the gains, crypto bulls point to increased demand from institutional investors, looking at bitcoin like gold as a hedge against inflation during the unprecedented U.S. spending to boost the pandemic-stricken economy. (CNBC)The government is expected to report at 8:30 a.m. ET another week of initial jobless claims above 800,000. For the week ending Dec. 5, first-time filings for unemployment benefits of 853,000 were much higher than expected and the highest weekly total since Sept. 19, reflecting the job market's struggles lately