1. Record run
Here are the most important news items that investors need to start their trading day:
The S&P 500 closed above 5,000 on Friday for the first time as U.S. stocks continued their steady climb. The S&P, Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq have all risen for five straight weeks. A slate of earnings and a handful of key economic data points will help to determine whether equities notch more records this week. Consumer price index inflation data due Tuesday will help to chart the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy path. January retail sales figures set for Thursday will also offer another gauge of consumer health. Follow live market updates here.
2. Back-to-back
The Kansas City Chiefs won their second straight Super Bowl on Sunday, and their third in the last five years. They defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in only the second NFL championship game that has gone to overtime. As always, advertisers jockeyed for the spotlight. They included mainstays like Budweiser and PepsiCo, along with newer faces such as DoorDash. Microsoft touted AI, while Kia showcased a new electric vehicle. Meanwhile, Beyoncé used a Verizon ad to announce she will release a new album in late March.
3. Aid advances
The Senate on Sunday advanced a long jammed up bill that includes $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The measure moved forward with 67 votes and could pass in the coming days. A larger version of the plan, which included border security measures Republicans opposed, previously failed. President Joe Biden and many congressional Democrats and Republicans have tried to send fresh aid to Ukraine for months as Russia’s invasion nears the two-year mark, but many in the GOP have opposed the funding. Meanwhile, some in Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s Democratic Party have spoken out against new military funding for Israel as health authorities in Gaza say the war there has led to more than 28,000 deaths.
4. Earnings elation
About two-thirds of S&P 500 companies have reported fourth-quarter earnings, and the strong numbers so far have helped to buoy stocks. Companies during the period achieved better profits without as much revenue growth. As of Friday, earnings for S&P 500 companies had jumped 9% for the quarter, while revenue had climbed 3.4%. The businesses reporting results this week, many of which operate in the food and beverage or gig economy spaces, will offer some commentary on the health of the consumer. Here are the earnings to watch this week:
5. Elon the stand
A judge has ordered Elon Musk to testify in a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into his acquisition of Twitter, the social platform now known as X, in 2022. The agency is looking into whether anyone committed securities fraud as the Tesla and SpaceX CEO built up a stake in the company ahead of his roughly $44 billion leveraged buyout. Musk and the SEC have a week to set a date and time for testimony, according to the order dated Saturday. Musk’s attorney’s have called the investigation baseless.
– CNBC’s Lisa Kailai Han, Sarah Whitten, Sara Salinas, Jake Piazza, Rebecca Picciotto, Robert Hum and Lora Kolodny contributed to this report.
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