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5 things to know before the stock market opens Friday


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Happy Friday. If you missed it yesterday: More than 60 million children were automatically enrolled in Trump Accounts after the Treasury Department proposed the change earlier this week. CNBC’s Jessica Dickler and Kate Dore have what parents need to know.

Stock futures are higher across the board this morning. The three major indexes rose modestly yesterday.

Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:

1. September surge?

Job seekers attends the JobNewsUSA.com South Florida Job Fair held at the Amerant Bank Arena on June 26, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. 

Joe Raedle | Getty Images

It’s “jobs day,” and Wall Street is expecting September’s nonfarm payrolls report to show another month of job growth. If their predictions pan out, the release could offer a positive sign for what’s been dubbed a “low hire, low fire” labor market.

Here’s what to know:

2. Drop the ball

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) debuted her Iowa Hawkeyes-inspired Nike Caitlin 1 during a WNBA game between the Dallas Wings and the against the Indiana Fever on August 14, 2026 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN.

Jeffrey Brown | Icon Sportswire | Getty Images

Shares of Nike are down more than 8% this morning after the athletic retailer reported weaker-than-expected revenue for its first quarter. The company also announced a restructuring plan yesterday that it said would result in layoffs next year.

Nike said its China business weighed on its results for the period, while its North American revenue came in slightly better than expected. For the full 2027 fiscal year, Nike said to expect revenue to decrease by a high-single-digit percentage.

But Thursday also brought a bright spot for Nike: WNBA star Caitlin Clark’s shoe with the brand were nearly sold out within two hours of its U.S. release yesterday. CEO Elliott Hill said on the company’s earnings call yesterday that Nike’s “most powerful growth opportunities is the women’s game.”

3. Short circuit

Signage at a General Motors Co. Chevrolet dealership in Colma, California, US, on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026.

David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images

General Motors said its year-over-year sales declined 5.5% in the third quarter, reporting just under 671,000 new vehicles sold in the period as sales of its all-electric vehicles plunged across the board.

This time last year, the automaker was seeing record EV sales before the Trump administration ended federal incentives to buy the cars. Now, as CNBC’s Michael Wayland and Catriona Marangi write, GM’s relatively small hybrid offering is expected to hurt the company as hybrids gain favor.

Indeed, hybrids helped Toyota and Honda outpace GM in third-quarter sales. Meanwhile, Stellantis said its sales were around flat compared with a year ago, and Nissan and Kia sales rose by around 1% and 8%, respectively.

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4. Talking AI

Bret Taylor Co-founder of Sierra and Chairman of OpenAI speaks during CNBC’s AI Forum in Dallas, Texas on Oct. 1, 2026.

CNBC

5. Crown jewel

Burger King crowns are seen in a restaurant on Aug. 17, 2026, in Miami, Florida.

Joe Raedle | Getty Images



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