S&P 500 futures are slightly lower, suggesting the broad index will hover near its record high—but a drop in oil prices and volatility in gold suggest nervousness about the outlook as Covid-19 cases surge. Here’s what we’re watching ahead of Monday’s open.

Peter Buffett, Warren Buffett and Susie Buffett attended the world premiere screening of HBO’s “Becoming Warren Buffett” at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, Jan. 19, 2017.

Photo: Charles Sykes/Associated Press

  • Cock-a-doodle-doo: Shares of poultry giant Sanderson Farms jumped 7.8% premarket. It is nearing a deal to sell itself for around $4.5 billion as it rides a wave of demand for chicken products.
  • And that’s not the only bullish chicken stock of the day: Tyson Foods jumped 3.1% after it said its profit and sales for the fiscal third quarter rose, with food service volume improving as the restaurant industry began to recover and reopen.
  • Brookfield Asset Management edged up 0.9% off hours. The company’s reinsurance arm has agreed to buy American National Group for about $5 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.
  • Bitcoin is up 7%, and Coinbase Global is coming along for the ride with a 3.7% premarket rise. Cryptocurrency miners were also gaining: Hut 8 Mining soared 15%, Bit Digital jumped 5.1% and Marathon Digital climbed 6.8%.
  • Jefferies lifted its price target for Tesla shares and raised its ranking to a buy from a hold—the stock inched up 1.6% premarket. Tesla over the weekend told workers at its Nevada battery factory they will be required to wear a mask indoors starting Monday regardless of vaccination status, joining the growing number of companies with such mandates.
  • Barrick Gold and Masonite are among the companies reporting earnings Monday.