Wall St Week Ahead Rising investor angst about economy to be tested by US jobs data.

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Wall St Week Ahead Rising investor angst about economy to be tested by US jobs data. 📊 The stakes are high for the monthly U.S. jobs report in the coming week, as investors gauge whether a string of worrisome data is signaling significant concern about the economy. The benchmark S&P 500 stock index has pulled back 4% from its all-time high reached earlier this month, while falling Treasury yields and a slide in bitcoin are also indicating increasing investor wariness. Reuters reports.

👟 Adidas eyes bigger U.S. market as Nike faces headwinds: Whether Adidas can win more American shoppers from market leader Nike will be key to its continued success this year, investors and analysts said, as the German brand looks for new sources of growth beyond its Samba and Gazelle sneakers. Uncertainty over whether consumer demand in China will recover has driven many brands, including in the luxury sector, to focus more on U.S. shoppers as a growth driver for 2025. Yahoo Finance reports.

🤖 Meta gears up to challenge ChatGPT with standalone AI app: Meta AI will soon become one of the social media company’s standalone apps, joining Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The company intends to debut a Meta AI standalone app during the second quarter, according to people familiar with the matter. CNBC reports.

🚀 Nvidia CEO reinforces AI dominance amid market uncertainty: Jensen Huang took to the company’s fourth quarter earnings call on Wednesday, looking to reaffirm the chip giant’s place in the AI trade — and calm Wall Street jitters around the technology’s future growth. Yahoo Finance reports.

💻 Dell bets big on AI servers, forecasts $15B in sales this year: The company reported fourth-quarter revenue of $23.9 billion, falling short of the $24.55 billion analysts expected, while its adjusted earnings per share reached $2.68, surpassing Wall Street’s $2.53 estimate. CNBC reports.

📊 Autodesk surges after beating Q4 estimates and strong Q1 outlook: The company reported its fourth-quarter results after Thursday's closing bell. Here's a look at the details from the quarter. Autodesk reported quarterly earnings of $2.29 per share, which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $2.14. Benzinga reports.

⚠️ HP meets profit targets but warns of tariff impact on growth: HP is wasting no time preparing for the impact of President Trump's tariffs on its business this year. The computer and printer giant said Thursday evening that its full-year profit outlook now reflects the added cost of US tariff increases on China. HP didn't slash its guidance because it found new cost savings to help offset the higher expenses. Yahoo Finance reports.

🌏 TikTok doubles down on Thailand with $8.8B AI data center investment: Chinese-owned video platform TikTok pledged to spend $8.8 billion building AI data centers across Thailand over the next five years, more than doubling an earlier investment target for the Southeast Asian nation. Yahoo Finance 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) $PMAX: Powell Max
Total gain: +81.57%

2) $ARBB: ARB IOT Group
Total gain: +63.77%

3) $SST: System1
Total gain: +33.43%

4) $VRPX: Virpax Pharmaceuticals
Total gain: +26.54%

5) $QVCGB: QVC Group
Total gain: +24.7%

Time (ET) / Report / Period

8:30 AM - Personal income - Jan.
8:30 AM - Personal spending - Jan.
8:30 AM - PCE index - Jan.

"The companies that will succeed in the long term are those that can adapt to changing circumstances, maintain their quality, and deliver consistent returns over time."

- Terry Smith

"Investing for Growth: How to Make Money by Investing in Quality Companies", by Terry Smith,
published in 2021