5 things to know before the stock market opens Monday
Here are the most important news items that investors need to start their trading day:
U.S. stock futures rose Monday as investors considered whether President Donald Trump's looming wave of tariffs may be narrower than feared. The moves point to a higher open after the three major averages eked out gains last week following a rough stretch. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both broke four-week losing streaks, as the indexes climbed 0.5% and 0.2% for the week, respectively. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, meanwhile, rose 1.2% to snap a run of two straight down weeks. Investors will be watching trade news from the White House in the coming days, along with consumer sentiment data due Tuesday and initial jobless claims figures out Thursday. Follow live market updates.
U.S. President Donald Trump gestures, as he boards Air Force One to depart for New Jersey at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., March 21, 2025.
Nathan Howard | Reuters
The Trump administration is offering a new message on trade ahead of the April 2 target date to apply reciprocal tariffs on countries that put levies on U.S. goods. Trump said Friday that there will be "flexibility" for his plan, though he raised doubts about whether he would make exceptions for particular nations. Then over the weekend, both Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal reported the administration is considering making some countries exempt from the tariffs and said that Trump may not levy the industry-specific duties he has teased. The change in messaging continues the messy rollout of Trump's trade war, after several false starts and last-minute exceptions in recent weeks cause markets to seesaw.
Hyundai will announce a $20 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing on Monday during an event at the White House, people familiar with the matter told CNBC. The plans include a $5 billion steel plant in Louisiana. The announcement with President Donald Trump comes as a range of companies try to win favor with the administration and avoid blowback from Trump's tariff policies. Trump has singled out South Korea, where Hyundai is based, as a country that applies what he calls unfairly high tariffs on U.S. goods.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, attends the inauguration of a new hub in France dedicated to the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, at the Google France headquarters in Paris, France, Feb. 15, 2024.
Gonzalo Fuentes | Reuters
The IPO and deals markets have been slow in the U.S. That may be starting to change. Google's $32 billion purchase of Israeli cybersecurity startup Wiz – the tech giant's largest acquisition ever – could signal that activity is starting to pick up. Cybersecurity companies could be major beneficiaries, as businesses try to protect their information during the AI boom.
You may be seeing a lot of bright and sweet drinks at national restaurant chains. They include Pineapple Dragonfruit beverages at Chick-fil-A, or the customizable drinks at new concept stores from Yum Brands' Taco Bell and McDonald's. Unique drinks, sometimes with high caffeine content, help restaurants draw younger customers. They also carry higher profit margins than many food items at a time when chains have had to use promotions to bring in diners.
– CNBC's Pia Singh, Brian Evans, Kevin Breuninger, Seema Mody, Samantha Subin and Amelia Lucas contributed to this report.
