The Market In 5 Minutes: Blockchain Enthusiasm, Facebook's News Feed, Trump's Potty Mouth

IN THE NEWS

When bitcoin investors discuss the long-term potential for the cryptocurrency, one of the most popular words to come up in the discussion is "disruption": Link

Blockchain enthusiasm is all too common on Wall Street, inspiring hollow or half-baked announcements of new corporate priorities: Link

While Americans have been promised a future of electric cars that can drive themselves, dealer showrooms are going back in time, as auto makers launch a slate of roomy off-roaders with nostalgia-inducing names: Link $

Facebook Inc. FB is broadly overhauling the way it presents news and information on its platform, as it struggles to address criticism from users and others about the quality of the content shared there and its effect on society: Link $

President Donald Trump on Thursday questioned why the United States would want to have immigrants from Haiti and African nations, referring to some as “shithole countries,” according to two sources familiar with the comments: Link

Advanced Micro Devices Inc AMD said on Thursday its microprocessors are susceptible to both variants of the Spectre security flaw, days after saying its risk for one of them was “near zero”: Link

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV FCAU is investing $1 billion in a Michigan truck factory and paying worker bonuses in the wake of a U.S. tax cut, gestures that could come in handy amid major policy matters being sorted out in Washington: Link

China continues to gobble up the world’s commodities, setting new records for consumption of everything from crude oil to soybeans: Link

ECONOMIC DATA

• USA Retail Sales (MoM) for Dec 0.40% vs 0.40% Est; Prior 0.80%
• ]Data on business inventories for November will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET.
• Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank President Patrick Harker is set to speak in Ivyland, Pennsylvania at 12:30 p.m. ET.
• The Baker Hughes North American rig count report for the latest week is schedule for release at 1:00 p.m. ET.
• Boston Federal Reserve Bank President Eric Rosengren will speak in La Jolla, California at 4:15 p.m. ET.

ANALYST RATINGS

• Jefferies upgraded Anthem ANTM from Hold to Buy
• Mizuho upgraded Horizon Pharma HZNP from Neutral to Buy
• Longbow downgraded Wendy's WEN from Buy to Neutral
• RBC downgraded Signet Jewelers SIG from Outperform to Market Perform
• Raymond James downgraded Snap SNAP from Market Perform to Underperform

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.