Shutdown looms as September jobs data, third quarter finale await investors: What to watch this week

September 29, 2025

Breaking News

The major averages finished this past week little changed, as a light economic and earnings calendar saw investors take the week's events in stride, even President Trump's latest tariff surprise late Thursday.

This week, however, looming developments may prove more troublesome for financial markets.

Tuesday is set to be a pivotal day for investors. It will mark the final day of the third quarter, an eventful period that saw the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all reach record highs.

Yahoo Finance reports.

EdgeUp

🏀 Nike marketing plans in focus ahead of crucial year for sports events

Investors will zoom in on Nike's marketing plans for the coming year when it reports results on Tuesday, after several sluggish quarters in which rivals have stolen market share and high tariffs have hit imported goods.

The company, in the midst of a turnaround under CEO Elliott Hill, showed an appetite for big-ticket ad campaigns in the year ended May - boosting its marketing spend, opens new tab to $1.63 billion, up 9% from the previous year - and next year brings one of the biggest sports marketing bonanzas of the decade: the World Cup. Reuters reports.

💊 Morgan Stanley expects Novo Nordisk Alzheimer trial to fail as it slashes rating

Morgan Stanley analysts say a trial to test whether Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster weight-loss drug also will work against Alzheimer’s is likely to fail, as it set the most pessimistic target price forecast of any Wall Street bank on the Danish drugmaker.

Morgan Stanley cut Novo Nordisk’s rating to underweight from equal weight and cut the price target on its U.S.-listed stock to $47 from $59. MarketWatch reports.

☕ Why Starbucks is closing hundreds of stores

The days of a Starbucks on every corner seem to be coming to an end.

For years, Starbucks staked its reputation on its ability to expand relentlessly in cities and suburbs. Comedian Lewis Black even riffed in 2001 that the “end of the universe” was in Houston, Texas, where he found one Starbucks directly across the street from another

But both the universe – and Starbucks – have changed since then. More competition, inflation and consumer shifts have hurt Starbucks’ bottom line.

Starbucks announced Thursday that it will close 1% of its stores in North America this month. The closures – and layoffs of 900 corporate employees – are part of a $1 billion restructuring plan.

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said the stores it will shut weren’t “what our customers and partners expect” or weren’t making money. CNN reports.

📊 Cannabis stocks surge after Trump endorses cannabidiol for senior healthcare

Shares of pot companies advanced in early premarket trading on Monday following a social media post by U.S. President Donald Trump over the weekend that suggested potential health benefits from the use of cannabidiol.
Trump's post on Sunday said cannabidiol (CBD) could "revolutionize senior healthcare" by helping reduce disease progression and was shown as an alternative to prescription drugs.
In early August, Trump had said his administration was looking to reclassify the drug, which could also result in potentially easing criminal penalties around the use of marijuana. Yahoo Finance reports.

Top 5 Movers in Early Pre-Market

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

1) $JFB: JFB Construction
Total gain: +78.1%

2) $STKH: Steakholder Foods
Total gain: +64.25%

3) $MRUS: Merus
Total gain: +37.94%

4) $AVTX: Avalo Therapeutics
Total gain: +26.38%

5) $KFFB: Kentucky First Federal
Total gain: +22.71%

Friday’s Biggest Movers

The closing price of the top three market percent gainers trading near or above $3 on September 26.
Benzinga reports.

*All pricing and percent gains are based on regular market trading hours from 9:30am to 4:00pm Eastern Time

1) MRM: MEDIROM Healthcare Techs
Total gain: +100.62%
The company has partnered with World, a "proof of human" protocol co-founded by Sam Altman and Tools for Humanity CEO Alex Blania. MEDIROM plans to complete the rollout of the World ID authentication device, Orb, across 100 of its Re.Ra.Ku relaxation studios in Japan by the end of this month, with further expansion to 200 locations nationwide. This initiative represents the largest deployment of Orbs in Japan to date, significantly increasing access to a new social infrastructure that allows individuals to verify their unique humanness. Benzinga reports.

2) BIAF: bioAffinity Technologies
Total gain: +58.04%
The company released three new case studies: one demonstrating how CyPath® Lung enabled the detection of lung cancer at Stage 1A, its earliest and potentially curative stage, and two highlighting cases where patients were able to avoid risky invasive procedures when faced with difficult healthcare decisions. Benzinga reports.

3) FOFO: Hang Feng Tech Innovation
Total gain: +56.13%
The stock appeared to be moving on no notable news.

Today’s Notable Earnings

*Estimate and Actual numbers represent Earnings Per Share in US Dollars

IVA: Inventiva
H1 2025
Before Market Open
Estimate: -0.410
Actual: -1.837

CUK: Carnival
Q3 2025
Before Market Open
Estimate: 1.240
Actual: N/A

MTN: Vail Resorts
Q4 2025
After Market Close
Estimate: -4.740
Actual: N/A

Today’s Economic Dates

Time (ET) | Report | Period

7:30 AM - Federal Reserve governor Christopher Waller speech
10:00 AM - Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack speech

Parting Thoughts

“The trend is your friend, until it bends.”

– Alan Farley

Sourced in: 100 Top Motivational Trading Quotes by “The Robust Trader

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