10 things before the opening bell

Welcome to 10 Things Before the Opening Bell.

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Let's get into it.

1. Strong earnings and an apparent softening by China's regulators is helping stocks. But there's definitely an air of caution, especially across the tech sector today. Take a look at what's happening on the markets.

2. Feelin' lucky? A new ETF lets you bet against Cathie Wood's Ark Invest. A proposed ETF is designed to track the inverse performance of Ark Invest's flagship fund. Read how the new Short ARKK ETF works.

3. Investors are getting too confident for their own good, warns Bank of America. A gauge tracking market sentiment is nearly at its highest level since the financial crisis. That has the market on the brink of flashing a major sell signal.

4. Earnings on deck: Toyota, Sony, CVS, Uber, and General Motors all reporting.

5. Crypto needs to be reigned in for it to soar, says SEC chief. Digital currency will only take off if there's clear rules around the market, according to SEC Chair Gary Gensler. This way, investors will be better protected against fraud - Gensler's aiming to implement stricter regulations to the $1.6 trillion digital-asset market.

6. Bitcoin is on the verge of another 34% surge, according to Fairlead Strategies. Technical indicators are signaling a risk-on environment for the crypto market, so bitcoin could be gearing up for a jump. See why this next boom could land bitcoin above $51,000.

7. Quality time in the markets: BlackRock says investors are leaning into quality stocks as we near what's likely to be peak economic growth this year. The firm has deemed companies with strong balance sheets, profitable earnings, and low debt as "quality stocks." Other economic indicators, like expansion rate and durable goods, are signaling a peak, too - see the other indicators.

8. Listen to Warren Buffett: put all your eggs in one basket. Legendary tech VC Marc Andreessen is bullish on Buffett's philosophy. This value investing approach is different from the meme-stock, get-rich-quick trend - "Don't get fancy" with your investing, said Andreessen.

9. Beat the market with Goldman Sach's list of 26 stocks. Solid balance sheets hold long-term promise, especially as the Fed's asset tapering plans go into full effect. Goldman named Facebook, Garmin and more as taper-proof - see the full list here.

10. This market wiz averaged an annual compounded return of 58% - he chalks it up to asymmetric opportunities and calculated risks. Through years of trial and error, he developed a framework for understanding nuances in the market - the wizard broke down his investing approach and two rules he always follows.

Compiled by Phil Rosen. Feedback? Email [email protected] or tweet @philrosenn.

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