Stock Futures Edge Higher After Chinese Data, Trade Buzz
China's industrial output grew at its slowest rate in 17 years
Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) futures are trading modestly above fair value this morning, as traders digest a raft of headlines. While China's industrial output grew at its slowest pace in 17 years in the first two months of 2019, a Bloomberg report indicated a trade meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could be pushed back to April, while Trump told reporters yesterday that he is in "no rush" to complete a trade deal. Elsewhere, investors will be looking ahead to today's Brexit vote, and keeping an eye out for Boeing (BA) news.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
This drug stock more than tripled yesterday.Pyxus stock joined the weed rally with CBD plant news.2 social media stocks sounding bearish alarms.Plus, DG earnings trigger pullback; another bull note for Apple; and legal woes for Johnson & Johnson. 
5 Things You Need to Know Today
The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 1.1 million call contracts traded on Wednesday, compared to 589,729 put contracts. The single-session equity put/call ratio dropped to 0.52, and the 21-day moving average remained at 0.62. Dollar General Corp. (NYSE:DG) stock is down 6.7% in electronic trading, after the retailer's fourth-quarter adjusted earnings and full-year profit forecast missed estimates. Revenue and same-store sales did arrive above analyst expectations, though. DG is fresh off a record high $121.27 yesterday, and had added 11.6% year-to-date.Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock is up 1.2% ahead of the bell, after Cowen initiated coverage on the FAANG name with an "outperform" rating and $220 price target. The analyst in coverage waxed optimistically on the company's services businesses and iPhone sales. This is the second bull note for Apple this week, and could take the shares above a key trendline.Shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) are down 1.2% in electronic trading, after a California jury awarded $29 million to a woman who said the company's talcum powder-based products gave her cancer. Johnson & Johnson faces many more litigation pressures in the aftermath of the carcinogen reports from December.Jobless claims hit a one-month high of 229,000 last week, while import prices rose 0.6% last month on the back of rising oil prices. New home sales and the Fed's balance sheet are also due. As for earnings, Adobe (ADBE), Broadcom (AVGO), DocuSign (DOCU), Jabil (JBL), Pivotal Software (PVTL), and Ulta Beauty (ULTA) will report.
Europe Up Despite Brexit Drama
There was mixed trading in Asia overnight, following disappointing industrial output data out of China. This sparked a 1.2% loss in China's Shanghai Composite, though the Hang Seng in Hong Kong grabbed a 0.2% win. South Korea's Kospi also rose, adding 0.3%, while Japan's Nikkei edged down 0.02%.
In Europe, focus remains squarely on the latest Brexit drama, as the U.K. prepares for yet another vote on Britain's efforts to leave the European Union (EU). Lawmakers on Wednesday rejected the idea of leaving the EU without an agreement. Despite the uncertainty, stocks are gaining, with London's FTSE 100 last seen up 0.7%, the French CAC 40 is up 0.6%, and Germany's DAX has added 0.2%.