• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

3

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

3

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
NewslettersBull Sheet

Why Stimulus 3.0 + Impeachment 2.0 adds up to very little for investors

By
Bernhard Warner
Bernhard Warner
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Bernhard Warner
Bernhard Warner
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 14, 2021, 5:37 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

This is the web version of the Bull Sheet, Fortune’s no-BS daily newsletter on the markets. Sign up to receive it in your inbox here.

Good morning, Bull Sheeters. Stocks and futures are little changed on Thursday despite reports the incoming Biden administration is planning a fresh round of stimulus spending, this one carrying a $2 trillion price tag. Robinhood traders, you’re in luck. The proposal reportedly includes $2,000 stimulus checks, which would buy you a decent fractional share of Bitcoin.

The other big news out of Washington—Impeachment 2.0—did little to ruffle markets yesterday. Yes, the Dow fell in the last half-hour of trade, coinciding with the historic “insurrection” vote, but the real test comes in the Senate—whenever that may be.

Let’s see what’s moving markets.

Markets update

Asia

  • The major Asia indexes are mixed in afternoon trading, with Japan’s Nikkei up 0.8%.
  • China reported its first COVID death in nine months and its biggest cluster of new cases since last spring, revelations that are weighing on investors.
  • The Trump administration slapped import bans on Chinese cotton and tomato shipments as global criticism mounts against Beijing for human-rights abuses in Xinjiang.

Europe

  • The European bourses were mixed in early trading with the Stoxx Europe 600 up 0.2% at the open, before climbing.
  • The euro is holding up as are Italian stocks and bonds even as PM Giuseppe Conte’s government in Rome teeters on the brink of collapse. Toppled governments are nothing new in Italy (though it’s a rare occurrence in the middle of a pandemic).
  • The $20 billion mega transatlantic grocery merger between Canada’s Couche-Tard and French retail giant Carrefour has hit a huge snag. The French government is voicing its opposition to a foreign takeover of France’s favorite place to buy papier hygiénique during a pandemic.

U.S.

  • The U.S. futures are again flat this morning, after meager gains on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq yesterday. Intel was the top performer yesterday after the beleaguered chipmaker announced a change in leadership.
  • What happened to the stimulus trade? CNN is reporting President-elect Joe Biden will unveil a roughly $2 trillion COVID-19 relief package today, and yet the markets are thoroughly unimpressed.
  • Shares in Johnson & Johnson were 1.2% higher in pre-market trading after the drugmaker announced its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine generated a promising long-lasting immune response in early stage testing.

Elsewhere

  • Gold is down, back below $1,840/ounce.
  • The dollar is flat.
  • Crude is down, with Brent steady around $56/barrel.
  • Bitcoin is up 10% in the past 24 hours. Maybe I should have taken my butcher’s advice to go all in at $35,000.

***

Buzzworthy

Earnings season advice, courtesy of BofA Securities

Stock-picking advice, courtesy of Meek Mill, famous rapper

And the vaccination leader is…

The recovery trade hinges on a successful vaccine rollout. Fortune is tracking the winners and losers.

Who needs stimulus, anyhow?

As the incoming Biden Administration plans a third round of stimulus, let’s take a look at household savings rates. According to the German investment bank Berenberg, American households are pretty flush compared to the Germans, French and Brits.

***

Have a nice day, everyone. I’ll see you here tomorrow… Until then, there’s more news below.

Bernhard Warner
@BernhardWarner
Bernhard.Warner@Fortune.com

As always, you can write to bullsheet@fortune.com or reply to this email with suggestions and feedback.

Today's reads

Money on the table. Yesterday's blockbuster Affirm IPO revealed yet again that companies and their bankers are doing little more than guessing what investors will pay for new shares. Fortune's Shawn Tully ran the numbers on the 2020 IPO field, and found executives left a cool $1.23 billion (at least) on the table. Here's why that's such a big deal.

Intel insider. Who's the new guy set to run the show at Intel? Fortune's Aaron Pressman is the one to ask. He weaves in anecdotes and analysis to explain why the naming of  Pat Gelsinger as the new CEO is such a big deal. Investors like the appointment. Intel was the best performing stock yesterday.

Some of these stories require a subscription to access. There is a discount offer for our loyal readers if you use this link to sign up. Thank you for supporting our journalism.

Market candy

SPAC-tacular returns

I've given a bit of flack to blank-check special-purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, in the past year. But there's a reason why we've seen such a mania behind SPACs. They're super volatile, but they've delivered some strong returns. The Wall Street Journal goes through the Q4 performance of SPACs, and finds some solid numbers for early investors. 

About the Author
By Bernhard Warner
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Newsletters

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Newsletters

How foodservice giant Sodexo is embracing AI and robotics to reshape the kitchen
NewslettersCIO Intelligence
How foodservice giant Sodexo is embracing AI and robotics to reshape the kitchen
By John KellJuly 1, 2026
5 hours ago
Exclusive: A VC firm backed by Melinda French Gates just closed a $46 million fund to invest in caregiving
NewslettersMPW Daily
Exclusive: A VC firm backed by Melinda French Gates just closed a $46 million fund to invest in caregiving
By Emma HinchliffeJuly 1, 2026
7 hours ago
The Supreme Court’s birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
NewslettersCEO Daily
The Supreme Court’s birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
By Diane BradyJuly 1, 2026
13 hours ago
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on April 23, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo: George Chan/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Microsoft may cut thousands more jobs in a bid to control costs
By Andrew NuscaJuly 1, 2026
13 hours ago
Image of colored bar charts with one being pushed up.
NewslettersEye on AI
AI is minting billion-dollar companies faster than before
By Beatrice NolanJune 30, 2026
1 day ago
Meet the only Black woman chair of the board in the Fortune 500
NewslettersMPW Daily
Meet the only Black woman chair of the board in the Fortune 500
By Emma HinchliffeJune 30, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
7 days ago
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
Big Tech
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 1, 2026
15 hours ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
4 days ago
The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
Newsletters
The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
By Diane BradyJuly 1, 2026
13 hours ago
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Success
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
By Sydney LakeJune 29, 2026
2 days ago
The U.S. Army is opening military bases to private billions — here's why that changes everything for the next 250 years
Commentary
The U.S. Army is opening military bases to private billions — here's why that changes everything for the next 250 years
By Marc AndersenJune 30, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.