5 Things to Know

5 things to know before the stock market opens Monday

Key Points
  • The S&P 500 is in a correction.
  • McDonald's, Starbucks and Apple lead a big earnings week.
  • GM is the only Big Three automaker without a UAW deal.

In this article

Fundstrat's Tom Lee: This is the time to get into FAANG
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Fundstrat's Tom Lee: This is the time to get into FAANG

Here are the most important news items that investors need to start their trading day:

1. Correction time

These are grim times for the S&P 500. The benchmark index is now more than 10% off its high for the year, joining the Nasdaq in correction territory, and it's on its way to a third consecutive month in the red, which it hasn't done since 2020. Whether things can turn around will depend a lot on some major developments this week. The Federal Reserve is set to make its next rate decision Wednesday, October's jobs numbers are due Friday, and big earnings lie ahead in the coming days. Futures were higher Monday morning. Follow live market updates.

2. Ride the earnings wave

A McDonald's restaurant near Times Square, NYC on July 29th, 2023.
Adam Jeffery | CNBC

Another week, another massive slate of earnings. McDonald's kicks things off Monday morning, while Pinterest is set to report after the closing bell. Those big names are just a taste of what's to come, however. Here are several of the prominent companies reporting this week:

3. Odd automaker out

Mary Barra, Chair and CEO of the General Motors Company (GM), speaks during the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, on May 2, 2022. 
Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty Images

Heading into the weekend it looked like General Motors was close – really close – to a deal with the United Auto Workers that would end a six-week targeted strike. Instead, surprising many, it was Stellantis that sealed a deal during weekend negotiations, joining Ford in achieving a tentative agreement with the union. Instead, the UAW expanded its targeted strikes at GM to an assembly plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee. We'll see if that will push things over the finish line for the company. By the way, Stellantis isn't quite out of the woods yet. Canadian union Unifor called a strike at the company's plants in the country, affecting more than 8,200 workers and production of Dodge muscle cars. (Update: Nevermind. Stellantis and Unifor reached a deal Monday morning.)

4. Ready to walk

A sign advertises Covid vaccine shots at a Walgreens Pharmacy in Somerville, Massachusetts, on Aug. 14, 2023.
Brian Snyder | Reuters

Pharmacy workers at chains like Walgreens across the U.S. feel overworked and overburdened. Some say they're at a breaking point, and they're showing their frustration with temporary walkouts. Pharmacists and technicians at Walgreens, CVS and other retail pharmacies are planning to walk out Monday through Wednesday at different times and locations across the country. It could affect hundreds of stores, one of the organizers told CNBC's Annika Kim Constantino. Representatives for both Walgreens and CVS said they are working to support their staffers and address their concerns.

5. White House weighs in on AI

ChatGPT can be a helpful job-hunting tool, if used correctly, according to career coach Sarah Doody.
Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

President Joe Biden on Monday issued an executive order directed at artificial intelligence, as his administration aims to take on a sweeping array of issues with the rapidly developing and increasingly popular technology. The White House says the mandate is the first of its kind produced by the government. The order addresses privacy violations, bias accusations, and labor and health care protections – but it's unclear what impact it'll have. Worries about AI's ability to produce misleading images and text are especially high, given the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, and the 2024 U.S. election campaign.

– CNBC's John Melloy, Michael Wayland, Annika Kim Constantino, Hayden Field and Lauren Feiner contributed to this report.

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