The Market In 5 Minutes

IN THE NEWS

BENZINGA

Richmond Federal Reserve President Jeffrey Lacker is calling it quits after admitting to leaking information about the deliberations among Federal Open Market Committee members in 2012: Link

Like rival gangs but without the AK-47s, there’s a bit of a disconnect between West Coast and East Coast views on fintech capital investments: Link

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

The House Intelligence Committee wants Susan Rice, a top aide in the Obama administration, to testify in a probe of alleged Russian election interference, as the investigation widens to include allegations that Obama officials improperly used intelligence information involving President Donald Trump or his associates: Link

North Korea launched a medium-range ballistic missile off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday morning, a day before Trump meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time: Link

Staples Inc. SPLS is exploring a sale to possible private-equity bidders, the retailer’s latest move to revive its turnaround effort after a failed merger with rival Office Depot Inc. ODP and as competition stiffens with web retailers such as Amazon.com Inc AMZN: Link

REUTERS

JAB Holdings, the owner of Caribou Coffee and Peet's Coffee & Tea, said on Wednesday it would buy U.S. bakery chain Panera Bread Co PNRA in a deal valued at about $7.5 billion, including debt, as it expands its coffee and breakfast empire: Link

Caution prevailed across major markets on Wednesday before a potentially tense meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping later this week, although metals and oil prices firmed on hope of better global demand: Link

BLOOMBERG

Amazon won the rights to broadcast 10 National Football League Thursday night games live online this season as part of its video subscription service, the online retailer’s latest effort to boost the value of Prime membership: Link

Democrats are threatening to block Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Republicans say they have the votes to change the Senate’s longstanding rules and push President Donald Trump’s nominee through: Link

NY POST

Kate Spade KATE had a sale Tuesday — unfortunately it was on the company’s stock price instead of its merchandise: Link

ECONOMIC DATA

• USA ADP Employment Change for Mar 263.0K vs 187.0K consensus estimate; The prior reading was 298.0K.
• US Services Purchasing Managers' Index for March is schedule for release at 9:45 a.m. ET.
• The ISM non-manufacturing index for March will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET.
• The Energy Information Administration’s weekly report on petroleum inventories is schedule for release at 10:30 a.m. ET.
• The Federal Open Market Committee will issue minutes of its latest meeting at 2:00 p.m. ET.
• Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Robert Kaplan is set to speak in Lawrence, Kansas at 8:00 p.m. ET.

ANALYST RATINGS

• Keefe Bruyette & Woods upgraded Wells Fargo WFC from Market Perform to Outperform
• Argus upgraded Wynn Resorts WYNN from Hold to Buy
• Nomura upgraded Nabors Industries NBR from Neutral to Buy
• Jefferies downgraded Amgen AMGN from Buy to Hold
• CIBC downgraded Rogers Communications RCI from Outperform to Neutral
• Cowen downgraded Novartis NVS from Outperform to Market Perform

This is a tool used by the Benzinga News Desk each trading day — it's a look at everything happening in the market, in five minutes. To get the full version of this note every morning, click here or email minutes@benzinga.com.