5 Things to Know Before the Stock Market Opens

Tuesday is the last trading day of 2024 and markets will be closed tomorrow for New Year's Day; U.S. stock futures are pointing higher, with investors hoping the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 end what is tracking to be their worst month since April on a high note; Tesla ( TSLA ) stock is moving higher in premarket trading after notching a 10% decline over the past three sessions ahead of its quarterly deliveries report; Boeing ( BA ) shares are edging higher after declining Monday following last weekend's deadly Jeju Air crash; and investors are watching for today's reading of the S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index for October. Here's what investors need to know today.

1. Today Is Final Day of 2024 Trading; Markets Closed Tomorrow

Investors are preparing to take a break from trading with the New Year's Day holiday Wednesday , when both stock and bond markets will be closed. Today, bond markets will close early at 2 p.m. ET. Markets will resume normal trading hours on Thursday for the first trading session of 2025. It's been a positive year for stock indexes, with the tech-focused Nasdaq gaining about 30%, the S&P 500 higher by nearly 24%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 13%.

2. US Stock Futures Higher; Dow, S&P 500 on Track for Worst Month Since April

U.S. stock futures are pointing higher Tuesday but markets have swooned in the final trading days of December . Nasdaq futures are up 0.5% after the index shed 1.2% Monday. S&P 500 and Dow futures are higher by 0.4% and 0.3%, respectively, but each is on pace to post its biggest monthly loss since April. Yields on the 10-year Treasury note are lower at around 4.52%, while bitcoin ( BTCUSD ) is trading nearly 2% higher at above $94,000. Oil and gold futures also are higher.

3. Tesla Stock Rising After Three-Session Skid

Tesla ( TSLA ) stock is 1% higher in premarket trading as the electric vehicle (EV) maker looks to rebound from a trading slump ahead of its deliveries report later this week. Tesla shares have lost 10% of their value in the three sessions since Christmas, although the stock is 68% higher year-to-date. Tesla is expected to release its fourth-quarter deliveries report on Thursday , with analysts expecting the EV maker to have delivered about 510,000 units, up 10% from the prior quarter and 5% year-over-year.

4. Boeing Shares Stable After Declining on South Korean Airline Crash

Boeing ( BA ) stock is edging higher in premarket trading after declining more than 2% Monday following the weekend crash of a South Korean airline flight. South Korea has ordered an inspection of all 737-800 planes in the aftermath of a Jeju Air crash over the weekend that killed 179 people. It was the latest incident for Boeing, whose shares have lost roughly a third of their value this year amid aircraft quality issues and labor disruptions, prompting the company to raise additional capital in a bid to preserve its investment-grade credit rating and stem its cash drain.