5 Key Insights Before Friday’s Stock Market Opens

Welcome to Friday! Remember that poignant Ring Super Bowl commercial about the lost dog? Unfortunately, it seems that it didn’t quite resonate as the Amazon-owned doorbell company had hoped.

Meanwhile, stock futures have taken a dip this morning, following a turbulent session affecting all three major indices.

Let’s delve into five critical points investors should consider as they kick off today’s trading.

On Thursday, market sentiments shifted significantly as stocks fell, with traders pivoting away from sectors deemed most vulnerable to artificial intelligence disruptions. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped over 600 points, or 1.34%, while the S&P 500 fell by 1.57%.

Here’s what transpired:

• The market remains unsettled due to concerns about the implications of new AI technologies for various industries.
• Initially impacting software and financial stocks, AI anxiety spread on Thursday to office real estate stocks and multiple trucking and logistics companies.
• Investors feared that AI could diminish the need for office space, and a new AI tool designed to scale freight volumes without increasing personnel caused unease in the trucking sector.
• Several tech companies also experienced significant losses. Shares of Cisco saw a 12% plunge, marking its worst day since 2022, particularly due to rising memory prices that are squeezing margins.
• Apple experienced a 5% drop, representing its largest single-day decline since last April, after reports emerged suggesting delays in its Siri update. Additionally, the company’s news app is now under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission.
• In contrast, Treasury yields dipped following a report from the National Association of Realtors indicating that January experienced the largest monthly decline in home sales since February 2022.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is set to release January’s consumer price index this morning, an update that was delayed due to the recent government shutdown.

Investors are keen to find out if the report will align with this week’s job data, or if it will provide additional insights regarding the health of the U.S. economy. Economists forecast a 2.5% year-over-year increase, according to the Dow Jones consensus. If accurate, this would return the inflation gauge to May 2025 levels.

Stock futures remain lower as markets await the report, scheduled for release at 8:30 a.m. ET. Stay updated with live market changes here.

Shares of Pinterestearnings and revenue projections for its fourth quarter.

Pinterest CEO Bill Ready attributed the disappointing results to tariffs imposed during Donald Trump’s presidency, which negatively impacted retail advertisers. Furthermore, the company provided conservative guidance for the next period, with CFO Julia Donnelly indicating that they expect “these headwinds will persist and may intensify” in Q1.

In contrast, Instacart reported robust revenue for its latest quarter and offered a positive outlook for the upcoming first quarter. Shares of the grocery delivery service surged 13% pre-market.

On Thursday, the Trump administration revoked a significant finding by the Environmental Protection Agency that had classified six greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, as threats to public health and safety. This endangerment finding was pivotal for federal emissions regulations.

The repeal represents a considerable setback to climate change mitigation efforts, and experts warn it may exacerbate long-term climate issues, resulting in more frequent extreme weather incidents. Although the EPA claims this move could save individuals about $2,400 per vehicle, the increased occurrences of wildfires, floods, droughts, and hurricanes could lead to higher costs for consumers.

Three NBA teams achieved valuations exceeding $10 billion during the 2024-2025 season, as reported by CNBC’s 2026 Official NBA Team Valuations.

The Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Lakers ranked first, second, and third, with valuations of $10.8 billion, $10.1 billion, and $10 billion, respectively. On average, the league’s 30 teams generated $416 million in revenue, increasing their average valuation to $5.52 billion—a remarkable 18% rise from the previous year’s average.

Explore the complete rankings here.