Stock market live updates: Futures rise, Fauci testimony ahead

This is a live blog. Here’s the latest.

Gold has paused its recent rally — the precious metal is coming off its fourth negative session in five — but Citi believes prices will move higher into the end of the year. “We are more confident about a fresh push higher in gold prices by late 2020, on the back of higher crude oil prices and perhaps an even more favorable rates environment,” the firm said in a note to clients Tuesday. Citi said that persistently low interest rates, as well as global currency debasement, are “buttressing investor buying activity.” The firm forecasts a “slow grind higher” for gold, but expects it to hold in the $1,600 to $1,700 per ounce range. “A global growth and EM recovery in 2021 could be what supports the next leg higher towards $2,000/oz,” the firm said. For the second quarter Citi sees gold averaging $1,710/oz. On Tuesday gold gained 0.6% to trade at $1,708/oz. — Stevens

Simon Property Group, the largest U.S. mall owner, said Monday evening that it plans to reopen about half of its properties within the next week. Though it announced that its first-quarter profits fell 20.2%, investors snapped up the stock on hopes that relaxed state-imposed business closures would reinvigorate consumers and restart mall traffic. Shares were last seen up 8.5% in premarket trading at 7:50 a.m. ET. — Franck

Saudi Aramco saw net income drop 25% in the first quarter as low oil prices hit the company’s bottom line. The state-owned oil giant reported income of 62.5 billion riyals ($16.6 billion) for the quarter, which was “primarily reflecting lower crude oil prices, as well as declining refining and chemicals margins and inventory re-measurement losses,” a statement said. The earnings release comes one day after the kingdom said it would cut production by an additional 1 million barrels per day beginning in June in an effort to prop up global oil prices. Aramco went public in December. — Stevens

The Federal Reserve is cranking up its corporate bond buying program, which will include companies whose debt was downgraded to junk primarily because of the coronavirus crisis. As corporate America issues record amounts of debt, the Fed will be scooping up both ETFs and, ultimately, individual bonds of companies that meet certain criteria. Debt issuance was up almost 70% year to date through April and multiple companies have priced significant offerings in the early part of May as well. – Cox

Hyatt Hotels announced late Monday that it would lay off 1,300 workers around the globe starting June 1 as it struggles to cope with the Covid-19 crisis that’s halted travel. Hyatt also said it’s cut pay for senior management, board members and all employees as part of a broader restricting. The company said all employees who are laid off would be eligible for severance pay. “Due to the historic drop in travel demand and the expected slow pace of recovery, Hyatt has made the extremely difficult decision to implement layoffs,” Hyatt said in a statement. — Franck

Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun told NBC he believes one major U.S. airline will file for bankruptcy protection before the end of 2020. “Yes, mostly likely. You know, something will happen when September comes around,” Calhoun said in an interview with NBC’s “Today” scheduled for release Tuesday. Calhoun said he doesn’t expect passenger traffic to reach even 25% of its prior levels by September. — Franck

On Tuesday Dr. Anthony Fauci will testify before the Senate, and he reportedly plans to warn about the dangers of reopening economies too soon, according to The New York Times. “If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines to: ‘Open America Again,’ then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country,” Fauci wrote in an email to the Times. “This will not only result in needless suffering and death, but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal,” he added. The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. ET. — Stevens

Citi raised its price target on Google-parent Alphabet to $1,600 per share from $1,400 per share on Monday evening. This implies a 13% rally in the next 12 months from Alphabet Monday’s closing price of $1,403.59 per share. Citi said it raised its 2021 free cash flow estimate to $64 per share and continues to apply a 25x forward cash flow multiple. “We are updating our model to reflect 1Q20 results and latest post COVID outlook,” Citi anlayst Jason Bazinet said in a note to clients. “We now model 5% year-on-year growth in 2020, with full-year revenue reaching $169.6 billion, and we expect 20% year-on-year rebound in 2021, with full-year revenue reaching $203.4 billion.” Shares of Alphabet were flat in premarket trading on Tuesday. — Fitzgerald

U.S. stock futures traded slightly higher on Tuesday as Wall Street stayed focused on the economy reopening. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gained 89 points, or 0.4%. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures were up by 0.3% each. Those gains come after the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite notched its sixth straight advance on Monday. That’s the average’s longest winning streak since December. The Nasdaq entered Tuesday’s session up more than 2% for 2020. At one point, the index had fallen more than 25% year to date. Investors will turn their eyes to Washington as Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, gets set to discuss the economic reopening, among other issues concerning the coronavirus. — Imbert

–With reporting from CNBC’s Fred Imbert and Jeff Cox.

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