Jobs report, crucial retail earnings kick off March trading for investors

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Jobs report, crucial retail earnings kick off March trading for investors. 📊 The first week of March will bring investors a crucial jobs report and a range of key retail earnings that could have the potential to either stoke or allay fears about the US economy and the consumer showing some signs of stress. Yahoo Finance reports.

💸 Alibaba-backed Zhipu raises $140M amid China’s expanding AI sector: Chinese startup Zhipu raised more than 1 billion yuan ($140 million) in a financing round led by local government-backed firms, underscoring the growing interest in domestic AI following DeepSeek’s ascent. Yahoo Finance reports.

👠 Prada reportedly nearing Versace acquisition in $1.6 billion deal: Italian luxury group Prada is moving closer to a deal to buy Versace from upmarket fashion group Capri Holdings, after agreeing to a price of nearly 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion). Reuters reports.

📊 Stellantis proposes board additions to enhance tech and financial oversight: Carmaker Stellantis has nominated Daniel Ramot and Alice Schroeder as new board members, as well as proposing the re-election of five others, it said on Monday, as the mandates of seven of its executives come to an end. Yahoo Finance reports.

🌍 Xiaomi prepares for global EV expansion following premium car launch: Xiaomi plans to begin selling its electric vehicles outside of China “within the next few years,” company President William Lu said. Lu made the announcement at Xiaomi’s product launch at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. CNBC reports.

🤝 Honor announces $10B AI investment, expands collaboration with Google: Honor on Sunday pledged $10 billion in artificial intelligence investments over the next five years and announced a deepening partnership with Google, as the Chinese smartphone maker looks to bolster its market share overseas. CNBC reports.

🚨 Tesla’s market value drops $354 billion as stock falls 22% in 2025: Tesla has declined 22.75% this year, wiping about $353.97 billion in investor wealth in the first two months of 2025, while Elon Musk remains confident on the company’s growth, this investor believes that “only going to get worse.” Benzinga reports.

(All pricing and percent gains are based on Early Pre-Market from 4:00 AM to 7:00 AM Eastern Time)
Benzinga reports.

1) $BTOG: Bit Origin
Total gain: +454.94%

2) $ACON: Aclarion
Total gain: +86.56%

3) $FTFT: Future FinTech Group
Total gain: +42.32%

4) $CLRO: ClearOne
Total gain: +28.02%

5) $ENTO: Entero Therapeutics
Total gain: +25.12%

Time (ET) / Report / Period

9:45 am - S&P final U.S. manufacturing PMI - Feb.
10:00 am - Construction spending - Jan.
10:00 am - ISM manufacturing - Feb.

“Costs matter. If you’re investing, you can control your fate in this area by focusing on low-cost funds.”

- Jack Bogle

“The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns”, by Jack Bogle, published in 2007.