ECONOMIC SILUET: 5 things to know before the stock market opens Friday

Jumat, 06 Januari 2023

5 things to know before the stock market opens Friday

FRI, JAN 06, 2023

MORNING SQUAWK

1. Down first week

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

The December jobs report from the Labor Department is due at 8:30 a.m. ET. Economists polled by Dow Jones expect to see growth of 200,000 in nonfarm payrolls and an unemployment rate holding steady at 3.7%. On Thursday, private payrolls came in better than expected, rising by 235,000 jobs, according to a report from ADP. Wall Street had expected private payroll adds of 153,000.

3. Still speakerless

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

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

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 Sara Salinas wrote this newsletter. Sarah Min, Patti Domm, Jeff Cox, Christina Wilkie, Chelsey Cox, Michael Wayland and Jessica Golden contributed.

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