Stocks, oil volatile, marijuana stocks soar on bill: LIVE UPDATES

Pending home sales declined in February for the fourth month in a row, as would-be buyers grapple with fewer, pricier homes to choose from and rising interest rates.

Contract signings dropped by 4.1% last month from January and were down 5.4% year over year with all four regions in the U.S. seeing a decline, according to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors.

Chewy Founder Ryan Cohen, who also heads GameStop and RC Ventures, forced the hand of the home retailer after calling out CEO Mark Tritton for poor leadership and an underperforming stock. His firm owns 9.8% of company shares.

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. Announces Cooperation Agreement with Ryan Cohen Appoints Three New Independent Directors to the Board with Finance and Strategy Experience

Announces a Four-Member Committee of the Board Focused on Exploring Alternatives to Unlock Greater Value from buybuy BABY

“He will give a major address tomorrow that will speak to the stakes of this moment. The urgency of the challenge that lies ahead, what the conflict in Ukraine means for the world and why it is so important that the free world sustain unity and resolve in the face of Russian aggression. He’ll also talk about the context and history of this conflict and where he sees it going from here” said National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

10-Yr Treasury Yield Tops 2.5%

2-Yr Treasury Yield Above 2.3%

Highest Since May 2019

Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) today applauded Senate passage of their legislation to expand scientific and medical research on marijuana and its compounds, including cannabidiol.

“Current rules and regulations make it hard for researchers to study how marijuana and marijuana-derived medications can best be used to treat various conditions,” said Senator Feinstein. “This important legislation will cut the red tape around the research process, helping get FDA-approved, marijuana-derived medications safely to patients.”

U.S. equity futures traded slightly higher after a previous day of gains on Wall Street.

Meanwhile, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell $1.69 to $110.65 a barrel, having dropped 2.3% in the previous session. Brent futures fell $1.17 to $117.87 a barrel, after sliding 2.1% on Thursday.

Additionally, the University of Michigan’s final index of consumer sentiment for March and the National Association of Realtors’ index of pending home sales for February will be released Friday.

U.S. equity futures
 traded modestly lower after Western governments promised new sanctions on Russia. Continue reading

Oil prices traded lower on Friday morning as the European Union and United States unveiled a deal to supply Europe with more U.S. liquefied natural gas. Continue reading

The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. edged up slightly on Friday to $4.243, according to the latest numbers from AAA. The price on Thursday was $4.236. 

The previous record high was $4.33, set on Friday March 11, 2022. 

Bitcoin was around $44,000 after trading higher in two of the last three days heading into Friday. The cryptocurrency is trading up more than 5% month-to-date, but down more than 5% year-to-date. Continue reading