Thursday”.5 Things to Know Before the Stock Market Opens on Thursday

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Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:

Yesterday reinforced a classic market adage: bad news can be good news for equities. A surprise dip in private payroll data revived hopes that the Federal Reserve could move toward an interest‑rate cut at its upcoming meeting.

• The ADP report showed a decline of 32,000 jobs in November, versus the 40,000‑job gain analysts had expected.
• The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped more than 400 points on Wednesday, pushing the 30‑stock index back into positive territory for the week.
• Traders now assign roughly an 89 % probability of a rate cut, up from under 70 % a month ago, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
• Challenger, Gray & Christmas data revealed that layoff announcements this year have reached the highest level since 2020, underscoring a broader slowdown in hiring.
• Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick attributed the weak ADP numbers to the government shutdown and mass deportations rather than tariff effects.
• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted that the administration could reinstate sweeping tariffs if the Supreme Court rules the President exceeded his authority on the current duties.

From a technical perspective, the market’s rally has narrowed the yield curve, tightening spreads on treasury futures and supporting risk‑on sectors such as technology and consumer discretionary. Should the Fed’s next move be a cut, we could see a further boost to high‑beta equities, while a hold would likely keep bond yields on a modest upward trajectory.

Salesforce blew past earnings‑per‑share expectations for the third quarter, lifting the stock in pre‑market trade. Although quarterly revenue fell marginally short of consensus, the company delivered a more aggressive revenue outlook for the next three months.

Revenue from the firm’s Agentforce AI platform surged 330 % year‑over‑year, and management set an ambitious target of $60 billion in annualized Agentforce revenue by fiscal 2030. The rapid adoption highlights the growing willingness of enterprise customers to embed generative AI into CRM workflows.

Analysts see this as a validation of Salesforce’s AI‑first strategy, which aims to differentiate its cloud stack from rivals such as Microsoft and Adobe. The strong AI traction could translate into higher average contract values and improved renewal rates, potentially offsetting slower growth in traditional SaaS licensing.

Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang returned to Washington to discuss chip export restrictions with senior officials and to brief lawmakers on a pending rule that could limit AI‑chip shipments abroad.

Huang criticized the proposed “Guaranteeing Access and Innovation for National Artificial Intelligence Act” (GAIN AI Act), calling it more harmful than the earlier AI Diffusion Act. He also warned that a patchwork of state‑by‑state AI regulations would stall innovation and raise national‑security concerns.

From a market standpoint, any tightening of export controls could curtail Nvidia’s ability to sell its high‑end GPUs to overseas AI developers, compressing a sizable portion of its revenue pipeline. Conversely, a clear regulatory framework could mitigate geopolitical risk, supporting a steadier long‑term valuation for the semiconductor sector.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, chaired by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., will vote on whether to revise the longstanding recommendation that infants receive the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth.

A shift in policy could have far‑reaching public‑health implications and would affect manufacturers of pediatric vaccines, potentially altering demand forecasts for both domestic and multinational pharma firms.

Experts caution that abandoning the 24‑hour window could increase the risk of chronic hepatitis B infections, which would raise long‑term treatment costs and create a larger market for antiviral therapies.

General Motors announced Sterling Anderson as its new executive vice president and product chief. Anderson, dubbed a “Silicon Valley cowboy,” will oversee the end‑to‑end product lifecycle for GM’s vehicle portfolio.

His mandate includes accelerating innovation cycles, harmonizing hardware and software development, and pushing a unified product strategy that blends traditional automotive engineering with rapid‑iteration tech practices.

The timing coincides with the Trump administration’s decision to roll back tariffs on South Korean imports. GM, the second‑largest importer of South Korean‑built vehicles after Hyundai, stands to benefit from lower component costs, especially for electric‑vehicle battery packs that rely on Korean supply chains.

Analysts view Anderson’s appointment as a signal that GM intends to close the gap with rivals such as Tesla and Ford on EV rollout speed, while leveraging improved trade terms to enhance margins on imported platforms.

Delta Air Lines detailed the financial impact of the government shutdown on its earnings.

• Approximate cost to pretax profit: $200 million
• Current‑quarter earnings‑per‑share impact: $0.25

The shutdown‑related expense highlights the sensitivity of airline profitability to macro‑policy disruptions, especially given the sector’s already thin operating margins. Investors will be watching how Delta manages cost‑control measures while demand remains resilient amid a still‑volatile travel environment.