Here are the most important news items that investors need to start their trading day:
1. Still on shaky ground
After two, rip-roaring rallies, U.S. stock markets settled back into negative territory Wednesday. The bulls showed a little fight toward the end of the day, but it wasn't enough to keep the winning streak going. The general takeaway on Wall Street is that we're still in an overall equities funk, particularly as the Federal Reserve pushes ahead with aggressive rate hikes to cool inflation. Earnings season begins in earnest next week, but until then, investors' eyes are on the job market. Private businesses added 208,000 jobs last month, according to ADP, topping estimates. The government, meanwhile, will report monthly jobs data Friday. A hot job market will likely fuel the Fed's rationale to hike rates further. Read live market updates here.