Hello. I'm Joe Wallace, here to bring you up to speed on Jobs Friday.
Stock futures are drifting up, putting the S&P 500 on course to change direction after three days of losses, helped by a rise in Amazon shares premarket.
The monthly U.S. jobs report, out at 8:30 a.m. ET, is expected to show the labor market cooled further in July. The consensus: The economy added 200,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate held at 3.6%. Follow our live coverage throughout the day to keep track of the jobs numbers and the market reaction.
Meanwhile, Charley Grant reports on the seasonal challenge that awaits the stock market.
Live Markets Snapshot Data refreshes every time you open this email. Stocks to Watch
https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://Amazon.com__;!!F0Stn7g!H2nj_6mnwxK3AGDYIBUVWqshiiZ25KTlqrshSxSfnRdgvG5hZLj-KhU7YzDll2mH-FACT9ZsliD4HNnhhDua4f8uZh93LtWrBz97l54W$ $(AMZN)$ : Shares of the tech giant jumped 8% premarket after it trounced expectations for quarterly profit, buoyed by resilience in its core e-commerce business.
Apple $(AAPL)$ : The stock slipped 1.7% before the bell after Apple said revenue declined for a third consecutive quarter, marking the company's longest sales slump since 2016.
DraftKings $(DKNG)$ : The sports-betting company's stock rose 15% premarket after it posted a narrower loss in the second quarter.
Tupperware Brands $(TUP)$ : Shares shot up 55% after the company finalized an agreement with lenders to restructure its debt, extending a recent stretch of heightened volatility.
Nikola $(NKLA)$ : The trucking company rose 4% premarket after shareholders approved an increase in its share count, a move that allows Nikola to raise funds by selling more stock.
Airbnb $(ABNB)$ : The holiday company had its most profitable second quarter ever, boosted by high nightly rates guests paid.
Coinbase Global $(COIN)$ : Shares rose about 1% premarket. The company reported a loss for a sixth-straight quarter.
Block (SQ) : The financial-technology company behind Square and Cash App said gross profit growth likely slowed to 21% in July, down from 27% year-on-year growth in the latest quarter. Block shares fell about 4%.
Opendoor Technologies $(OPEN)$ : Shares fell 11% premarket after the house-flipping company said revenue would fall short of analysts' expectations this quarter.
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Stocks Have Had a Great Year. Cue the September Effect.
By Charley Grant
September is traditionally the weakest month for U.S. stocks. This year, investors say the turning of the calendar should be especially worrying.
Stocks have risen sharply after last year's selloff, defying any number of risks along the way. The S&P 500 is up 17% so far this year, including a 3.1% increase in July that reflected gains across all 11 sectors. Wall Street's so-called fear gauge, the Cboe Volatility Index, is sitting well below historical averages.
If history is any guide, investors' optimism will soon be put to the test. The S&P 500 has lost an average of 1.1% in September dating back to 1928, making it the worst month for stocks' performance. It isn't just a few bad years dragging down returns.
There is no clear reason for what is known as the "September effect." But it is typically a month without the type of news that can push stocks higher, such as major corporate earnings, said Jay Hatfield, chief executive officer of Infrastructure Capital Advisors.
Keep reading .
The Wall Street Journal's Evan Gershkovich is being wrongfully detained in Russia after he was arrested while on a reporting trip and accused of spying-a charge the Journal and the U.S. government vehemently deny. Follow the latest coverage , sign up for an email alert , and learn how you can use social media to support Evan.
Charting the Markets
For tech's biggest titans, growth has been an issue of late. But one is shaking off the slump. Amazon posted revenue growth of 11% from a year earlier, whereas Apple is still in a lull, writes Dan Gallagher for Heard on the Street .
Private-equity funds focused on China once boasted big returns. Now they have big problems .
Mortgage rates inched up closer to 7%, reaching the highest level since mid-July .
Must Reads
Friday's jobs report is expected to show solid employment growth and low joblessness in July, suggesting the labor market remained strong despite the Federal Reserve's efforts to slow the economy to reduce inflation.
Private-equity firm KKR is in advanced talks to acquire Simon & Schuster for about $1.65 billion, according to people familiar with the situation, capping a yearslong effort by Paramount Global to sell the publisher of such authors as Stephen King and Bob Woodward.
Prices at the pump tend to decline over the course of typical summers. This season has shown anything but that pattern, as weather and Wall Street have conspired to push up gas prices.
More:
Amazon Shines During Apple's Off-Season Apple Sees Third Straight Quarter of Falling Sales, but Services Unit Hits Record Tech Entrepreneur Admits to Being Hacker in $4.5 Billion Bitcoin Heist This Day in Markets On this day in 1790, Congress enacted Alexander Hamilton's plan to fund the public debt. The move ended years of turmoil over the bonds issued by federal and state governments during the revolution, giving birth to the American securities markets. About Us
We want to be the first place you go to get ready for the opening bell every day. This newsletter was written and edited by Joe Wallace ( @josephttwallace [https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://twitter.com/josephttwallace__;!!F0Stn7g!H2nj_6mnwxK3AGDYIBUVWqshiiZ25KTlqrshSxSfnRdgvG5hZLj-KhU7YzDll2mH-FACT9ZsliD4HNnhhDua4f8uZh93LtWrBzUrDdlR$ ]; [joe.wallace@wsj.com]) in London.
This article is a text version of a Wall Street Journal newsletter published earlier today.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
August 04, 2023 06:42 ET (10:42 GMT)
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