Here are the most important news items that investors need to start their trading day:
1. Down first week
Traders on the floor of the NYSE, Jan. 5, 2023.
Source: NYSE
Wall Street is bracing for more data Friday that could suggest a still-hot labor market and more action by the Federal Reserve to bring down inflation. Stocks sold off Thursday after a better-than-expected private sector jobs report, with the Dow falling 300 points. All three major indexes are on their way to a losing week to start the new year.
2. New jobs data
A “Now hiring” sign is displayed on the window of an IN-N-OUT fast food restaurant in Encinitas, California, May 9, 2022.
Mike Blake | Reuters
3. Still speakerless
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) reacts as a 7th round of voting for a new Speaker starts not to go his way on the third day of the 118th Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 5, 2023.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
The House adjourned for a third night on Thursday without a speaker, after GOP leader Kevin McCarthy was defeated in an 11th vote. It’s the longest the chamber has gone without a leader in generations. The House is now facing a 12th vote when it reconvenes at noon on Friday, while McCarthy scrambles to appease far-right Republicans who have withheld their support for his speakership. Some Republicans on Thursday put forth new names as alternatives to McCarthy, including Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma and former president Donald Trump.
4. Course correcting auto sales
Brand new Dodge Charger cars are displayed on the sales lot at Hilltop Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram on August 17, 2022 in Richmond, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
Automakers are counting on a 2023 rebound after 2022 proved to be the worst year for new vehicle sales in the U.S. since 2011, when the industry was recovering from the Great Recession. Research firms estimate last year’s sales were roughly 8%-9% down from 2021, as parts shortages plagued inventories and higher prices weighed on consumers’ wallets. But those same research firms, and the automakers themselves, are projecting an uptick in sales this year as inventories improve and prices begin to moderate.
5. Pickleball boom
Pickleball Courts
Ben Hasty | Medianews Group | Reading Eagle via Getty Images
Yes, everyone you know really is playing pickleball now. The sport shot up in popularity last year, with more than 36.5 million people picking up a pickleball racket between August 2021 and August 2022, according to a new report shared exclusively with CNBC’s Jessica Golden. Earlier data put the 2021 participation rate at 5 million players. Pickleball in recent months has won big investments and high-profile sponsorships, and apparently America’s heart.
– CNBC’s Sarah Min, Patti Domm, Jeff Cox, Christina Wilkie, Chelsey Cox, Michael Wayland and Jessica Golden contributed to this report.
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