5 Things to Know Before the Stock Market Opens

5 Things to Know Before the Stock Market Opens

Economists expect the 8:30 a.m. ET release of the November jobs report to show a rebound in employment levels; U.S. stock futures are little changed as indexes pulled back from record highs; Lululemon ( LULU ) shares are jumping in premarket trading after the retailer reported strong revenue growth and raised its sales forecast; President-elect Donald Trump appoints venture capitalist and podcaster David Sacks to be "White House A.I. & Crypto Czar"; and Docusign ( DOCU ) stock surges after the company's quarterly profit more than doubled expectations. Here's what investors need to know today.

1. November Jobs Report Expected to Show Hiring Rebound

Investors will be closely watching today's 8:30 a.m. ET release of the November jobs report, with forecasters projecting employment to bounce back from a storm-related dip in October. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires expect the November report to show that employers added 214,000 jobs, rebounding from 12,000 new positions the prior month, when storm damage and labor disruptions likely limited job creation. The data comes as Federal Reserve officials are closely watching economic indicators ahead of a Dec. 18 interest rate decision.

2. US Stock Futures Flat Ahead of Jobs Report

U.S. stock futures are little changed ahead of the jobs report after major indexes retreated from record highs in the prior session. Bitcoin ( BTCUSD ) is trading up 1% at around $98,000 after the cryptocurrency pulled back yesterday after crossing the $100,000 threshold for the first time Wednesday night. Crude futures are about 1% lower, gold futures are up about 0.5%, and 10-year Treasury yields are flat, hovering below 4.2%.

3. Lululemon Stock Jumps on Revenue Growth, Improved Outlook

Lululemon Athletica ( LULU ) stock is surging 9% in premarket trading after the retailer's third-quarter results topped estimates and it raised its full-year outlook . The apparel maker reported 9% year-over-year revenue growth to $2.40 billion, above the consensus of analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha. Net income was $351.9 million, or $2.87 per share, also above expectations. Lululemon also raised its full-year revenue forecast to $10.452 billion and $10.487 billion, up from a prior range of $10.375 billion to $10.475 billion.

4. Trump Appoints VC Investor David Sacks for White House AI, Crypto Role

President-elect Donald Trump appointed venture capitalist David Sacks to be the " White House A.I. & Crypto Czar ," saying on his Truth Social platform that Sacks will "guide policy for the Administration in Artificial Intelligence and Cryptocurrency, two areas critical to the future of American competitiveness." Sacks, co-host of the "All-In" podcast, is a close friend of Trump ally and Tesla ( TSLA ) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk, and has been a proponent of looser regulation on both cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence (AI) , according to The New York Times .

5. Docusign Stock Jumps After Earnings More Than Double Expectations

Docusign ( DOCU ) stock is surging 12% in premarket trading after the e-signature and document management company reported third-quarter profit that more than doubled expectations. Docusign posted profit of $62.4 million, or $0.30 per share, while analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha projected $30.2 million, or $0.14 per share. The firm's Q3 revenue of $754.8 million also was better than the estimated $745.3 million.

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