5 things to know before the stock market opens on Tuesday

Happy Tuesday. Today we’re talking about the five-year anniversary of the meme stock craze. Which made me think it was finally time to watch “Dumb Money.”

S&P500 futures are little changed. The three major indexes have performed well.

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

Yesterday was another day when the White House made an announcement that moved the market. This year’s headlines focused on rare earths, Treasury contracts, and healthcare.

Here’s what you need to know:

shares of usa rare earths Shares closed up nearly 8% after the company announced that the Department of Commerce would acquire a stake in the company. The department issued a letter of intent offering $1.3 billion in loans and $277 million in federal funding to the critical minerals startup, whose stock price rose as much as 29% in yesterday’s session. In an exclusive interview with CNBC, CEO Barbara Hampton explained how a meeting with Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick in November led to the deal. “The government is looking for an economic benefit in this business, not a governance benefit,” he told CNBC. booze allen hamilton Shares fell 8% yesterday after the Treasury Department terminated a contract with a consulting firm in which one of its employees leaked President Donald Trump’s tax records. The Treasury Department said it had dozens of contracts with Booz Allen with annual spending of nearly $5 million and total debt of $21 million. Health insurance companies fell sharply in after-hours trading late yesterday after the Trump administration said it would keep Medicare Advantage rates nearly flat next year. shares of CVS Health, humana, united health group and Elevance Health All were down significantly before the bell this morning. Follow live market updates here.

The killing of Alex Preti by federal agents in Minneapolis over the weekend continues to reverberate across the country, from Minnesota to Washington, D.C., and into corporate America. The incident has placed business executives under intense scrutiny as they continue to walk a political tightrope following Trump’s return to the presidency.

Incoming call target “The violence and loss of life in our community is incredibly painful,” CEO Michael Fidelke said in a video message to staff. Fidelke, who will take over the Minneapolis-based retailer’s leadership team in February, did not mention Trump or the two shooting victims by name. Meanwhile, several executives at major tech companies have remained silent about the situation, in stark contrast to their response to the killing of George Floyd in 2020.

Yesterday, the White House appeared to soften its stance on Preti’s death. “No one in the White House, including President Trump, wants to see people injured or killed on America’s streets,” said spokeswoman Caroline Levitt.

shares of general motors Shares rose more than 4% this morning after the automaker beat analysts’ profit expectations. GM also announced a 20% increase in its quarterly dividend and authorization to buy back $6 billion in stock.

The company slightly missed Wall Street’s earnings estimates. Earlier this month, the automaker pre-announced special charges for the quarter related to “legal issues,” a headquarters move and its discontinued robotaxi business.

GM wasn’t the only transit agency to announce earnings this morning. american airlines Both businesses fell short of expectations, but the stock rose 3% on the forecast for sales growth in 2026. boeing Shares rose 1% after the company reported better-than-expected earnings and a jump in sales.

nike CNBC reported yesterday that 775 workers will be laid off. The job cuts specifically target distribution center staff in Tennessee and Mississippi, according to people familiar with the matter.

Nike said in a statement that it is seeking to “strengthen and streamline its business” and that the layoffs are part of a plan to return to “long-term, profitable growth.” The Oregon-based company also said it is “accelerating” its use of automation.

The job cuts come on top of 1,000 corporate job cuts the sporting goods retailer announced last summer.

This week marks about five years since then. game stop It ignited a short squeeze and caught the attention of Wall Street. While the “meme stock” trading trend ended up becoming a fad, the pandemic-era retail investing boom did not.

Retail investors now account for nearly 20% of average daily trading volume in U.S. stocks, up from low single digits before the pandemic, according to BlackRock research. According to JPMorgan, these mother and son traders are not letting up on the gas. According to JPMorgan, retail circulation in 2025 will be a record, about 17% higher than in 2021, when the meme stock mania was in full swing.

GameStop shares rose 4% yesterday after celebrity investor Michael Burley announced he would buy the stock. Barry said he is “not looking for one-time gains to realize long-term value,” and instead believes in the company’s strategy and CEO Ryan Cohen.

Yesterday, gold closed above the $5,000 per ounce mark and specifically climbed above the $5,100 level during the trading session. Precious metals soared amid rising geopolitical tensions.

CNBC’s Spencer Kimball, Brian Sullivan, Dan Mangan, Pia Singh, Annika Kim Constantino, Melissa Repko, Laura Murti, Michael Weiland, Leslie Josephs, Raya Neelakandan, Sarah Eisen, Gabriel Fonrouge, Jessica Golden, Yun Li, Kate Rooney and Gabriel Cortez contributed to this report. Josephine Rozzelle edited this version.