5 things to know before the stock market opens on Wednesday

Good morning, thank you for your hard work on Wednesday. We may have had to wait another five days for January’s nonfarm payrolls report, but at least the Winter Olympics gave us some time to kill. Norway currently leads the world with six gold medals, followed by the United States in fifth place with two gold medals.

Stock futures are rising this morning as the average of the three major stocks trades mixed.

Here are five important things investors need to know to start their trading day.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is scheduled to release its January nonfarm payrolls report at 8:30 a.m. ET this morning, five days later than originally scheduled due to the recent government shutdown. In the report, economists forecast little, if any, growth.

Here’s what you need to know:

According to the Dow Jones Consensus, payrolls rose by 55,000 in the month, slightly more than the 50,000 increase in December. Other Wall Street forecasts predict an even lower number. The data dump also includes BLS’s final benchmark revisions for the 12 months ending March 2025. These revisions could ultimately wipe out nearly all of the gains made in the period. This morning’s report comes on the heels of several other recent economic indicators pointing to a struggling labor market. December retail sales statistics released yesterday also showed that consumer activity slowed significantly in the month. Even the White House is tempering expectations: National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told CNBC this week that “we expect payrolls to decline slightly,” citing a shrinking workforce and increased productivity from the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Stock futures are rising ahead of this report. of S&P500 Financial stocks fell 0.33% yesterday as they faced investor concerns about artificial intelligence threats to the sector. Follow us here for live market updates.

ford yesterday reported its worst quarterly profit shortfall in four years, with fourth-quarter adjusted earnings of 13 cents per share, 32% below Wall Street expectations of 19 cents. The company said the losses were due to unexpected tariff costs of about $900 million and the impact of a fire at an aluminum plant that supplies Ford’s F-Series pickup trucks.

But Ford is looking to the future. The company expects 2026 to be a year of recovery, with adjusted EBIT, adjusted free cash flow and capital expenditures expected to be higher than last year. Ford’s conventional and fleet divisions are expected to make up for the electric vehicle division’s losses of $4 billion to $4.5 billion this year.

shares of moderna Yesterday, stocks fell more than 10% before the bell this morning after the drugmaker announced that the Food and Drug Administration had refused to review its application for an experimental flu shot. As CNBC’s Annika Kim Constantino reports, the FDA’s move is the latest indicator of tightening vaccine regulations under the Trump administration.

Moderna said the agency’s refusal contradicts previous guidance it received from the FDA, which did not address specific questions about the vaccine’s safety or effectiveness. Instead, the FDA took issue with Moderna’s research plan, even though it had previously approved it.

Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick admitted yesterday that he visited sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s island in 2012, telling lawmakers in testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee that he and his family had lunch on the island during a family vacation.

The confession comes as Lutnick – who previously said he had no contact with Epstein since 2005 – faces calls from both sides to resign after recently released files suggested a broader relationship with Epstein than was known. The Commerce Secretary on Tuesday insisted he had “very little to do” with Mr. Epstein, saying he had “nothing to do with him.”

The so-called Epstein file is also causing ripples in British politics. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing pressure to resign over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, despite Mandelson’s links to Epstein.

estee lauder is filing a lawsuit walmartclaimed that a major retailer sold counterfeit beauty products on an online marketplace.

In a lawsuit filed Monday, the cosmetics company said it ordered a product from Walmart.com that used its brand’s trademark, but determined it was counterfeit. The products were sold by third-party sellers, and Estée Lauder accused Walmart of facilitating what it called “despicable and harmful” practices.

Two of the counterfeit products Estée Lauder purchased and tested from Walmart.com were cited in CNBC’s September investigation into counterfeit beauty products and fraud on the site. It is unclear when Estée Lauder purchased and tested the products, or whether they are the same fakes provided to the company by CNBC.

Kalsi had a big weekend at the Super Bowl. Tarek Mansour, CEO of Prediction Markets, told CNBC that bets on Bad Bunny’s first song alone exceeded $100 million. Mansour said Kalsi’s numbers on Sunday were:

Volume: $1 billion + YoY increase: 2,700%

Disclosure: CNBC and Kalsi have a commercial relationship that includes a minority stake.

—CNBC’s Jeff Cox, Michelle Fox, Sean Conlon, Sarah Ming, Liz Napolitano, Michael Weiland, Annika Kim Constantino, Kevin Browninger, Chloe Taylor, Sam Meredith, Gabrielle Fonrouge and Raya Neelakandan contributed to this report. Melody Warner edited this version.