5 Critical Things Every Trader Must Know Before Today’s Stock Market Opens

Markets brace for volatility as global tensions simmer and earnings season kicks into high gear.

Fed Watch: All Eyes on Powell

Jerome Powell's upcoming speech could signal policy shifts—traders are pricing in at least two rate cuts by year-end despite what the economic data suggests.

Tech Earnings Tsunami

Five major tech giants report this week. Remember last quarter's 'beat and raise' pattern? Don't bank on a repeat performance.

Institutional Moves: Follow the Smart Money

Hedge funds have been quietly loading up on defensive plays—healthcare and utilities see unusual options activity while tech gets trimmed.

Global Ripples: Asia-Europe Spreads Widen

European markets are pricing in political risk premiums that Stateside traders keep ignoring. That gap won't hold forever.

Calendar Quirks: Triple Witching Looms

Quarterly derivatives expiration hits Friday. Expect amplified moves and remember—liquidity always evaporates faster than a crypto influencer's credibility during a crash.

Bottom line: Today's session sets the tone for Q4. Either we break out or break down—no middle ground when algos control 80% of the flow.

1. Stock Futures Mixed After Major Indexes Hit New Highs

Stock futures were mixed after major stock indexes hit new highs on Tuesday. Investors today are watching inflation data as stocks have risen in anticipation of an interest rate cut by the Fed next week. Futures tied to the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq were slightly higher this morning, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell slightly. Bitcoin (BTCUSD) was trading at around $112,400 recently, up from its overnight lows. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which affects borrowing costs on all sorts of loans, ticked higher to 4.09% but remains near its lowest level since April. Gold futures were slightly higher, trading near a record high, while oil futures added about 1%.

2. Oracle Shares Soar as AI Demand Drives Strong Sales Outlook

Shares of Oracle (ORCL) surged more than 30% in premarket trading after the cloud computing giant said it added several large new clients and boosted its outlook for cloud infrastructure sales on booming AI demand. Oracle said it sees cloud infrastructure sales jumping 77% to $18 billion this fiscal year as AI demand grows, up from a June forecast of more than 70%. Oracle posted adjusted earnings per share of $1.47 in the fiscal first quarter on revenue that ROSE 12% year-over-year to $14.9 billion, both below analysts' estimates as compiled by Visible Alpha. Oracle said its growing backlog from new contracts contributed to its more robust outlook.

3. PPI Inflation Data in Focus Ahead of Fed Meeting

Today’s 8:30 a.m. ET release of the Producer Price Index (PPI) is expected to show inflation at the wholesale level moderated in August. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires estimate that the PPI will show wholesale prices rose 0.3% in August, down from 0.9% the month before. The wholesale inflation numbers come ahead of tomorrow’s closely watched Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, the last major piece of inflation data ahead of the Fed’s meeting next week. The central bank has held its key rate steady this year amid concerns about the impact that tariffs are having on inflation, though Fed Chair Jerome Powell signaled recently that rate cuts may be warranted.

4. Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Attempts to Fire Fed’s Cook

A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s efforts to remove Fed Gov. Lisa Cook. The injunction means Cook can stay in her role as her lawsuit challenging the dismissal moves forward. Trump, who has lambasted the Fed for not cutting interest rates, is attempting to remove the Fed governor on allegations of mortgage fraud that occurred before her appointment to the Fed's board. The judge ruled that the Federal Reserve Act limited the president’s authority to fire board members for actions that occurred before their terms, according to media reports. Cook has denied wrongdoing. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to eventually rule on Cook’s lawsuit challenging the dismissal.

5. Wegovy Maker Novo Nordisk to Lay Off 9,000 Workers

Wegovy Maker Novo Nordisk (NVO) said it plans to lay off 9,000 employees, making up more than 11% of its workforce, as the Danish drugmaker faces a slowdown in growth in the weight loss treatment market. Novo Nordisk said the layoffs will create a one-time cost of 8 billion Danish kroner ($1.26 billion). As a result, the company said it now expects full-year operating profit growth of between 4% and 10%, down from the 10% to 16% profit growth it projected in August. The move comes after Novo Nordisk brought in a new CEO in August. U.S.-traded shares of Novo Nordisk were up about 1% in recent premarket trading.