Group 1: Jobless Claims Data - Initial Jobless Claims reached 231K, exceeding expectations of 212K and the previous week's 209K, marking the highest level of 2026 so far [2] - Continuing Claims increased to 1.844 million from a revised 1.819 million the prior week, still favorable compared to the past six months where it ranged between 1.93 and 1.97 million [3] Group 2: Earnings Reports - Bristol Myers-Squibb (BMY) reported earnings of $1.26 per share, beating the Zacks consensus of $1.15, resulting in a 9.57% earnings beat, with shares up 1.7% [4] - ConocoPhillips (COP) missed earnings estimates by 6 cents, reporting $1.02 per share, leading to a 5.6% earnings miss and a 3.3% drop in shares [5] - Ralph Lauren (RL) posted earnings of $6.22 per share, surpassing expectations of $5.80 with a 7.2% positive surprise, although shares fell 6.5% due to declining annualized revenue growth [6] - Tapestry (TPR) reported earnings of $2.69 per share, exceeding the Zacks consensus of $2.20, with shares up 5.9% [7] - Other notable earnings beats included Hershey's (HSY) at +21.28% and ArcelorMittal (MT) at +53.57%, while MasterCraft Boat (MCFT) had the largest beat at +81.25%, despite a revenue miss leading to a 1.2% drop in shares [8]

Well, this isn't going to make anybody happy either. A big jump in jobless claims last week to 231,000. The initial claims four week moving average is at 212, 212,000.And the continuing claims number rises as well to 1,844,000. So jobless claims up last week. Now, the caveat, as I mentioned, there was a caveat with the challenger numbers.There's always a caveat with jobless claims around this time of year because we're still trying to get settled out from the holidays. But if this is any indication of where ...

Jobless claims in the United States ticked down slightly last week amid growing uncertainty among workers.By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions .Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.For the week ending Jan. 24, initial unemployment claims fel ...

Labor Market - Initial Jobless Claims came in at +200K, which is 8K below expectations and a slight increase from the previous week's revised figure of +199K [1] - The four-week average of new jobless claims is now +202K, which is -15K lower than the previous four weeks [1] Continuing Claims - Continuing Claims reached 1.85 million, down from 1.884 million reported a week ago, marking the second-lowest tally since the previous high of 1.9+ million claims [2] Economic Growth - Q3 GDP was revised up by 10 basis points to +4.4%, the highest single quarter since +4.7% in Q3 of 2023, driven by increases in exports, investments, and inventories [3] Earnings Reports - GE Aerospace reported Q4 earnings of $1.57 per share, beating estimates of $1.44, with revenues of $11.87 billion, a +5.38% surprise, but shares are down -3% due to slowing revenue growth [4] - Procter & Gamble's fiscal Q2 earnings were $1.88, slightly above estimates, while revenues were $22.21 billion, falling short by -0.36% [5] - Abbott Labs met earnings estimates at $1.50 per share but fell short of revenue projections at $11.46 billion, leading to a -7.2% drop in shares [6] - Freeport-McMoRan reported earnings of 47 cents per share, exceeding the estimated 28 cents, with revenues of $5.63 billion, surpassing expectations of $5.18 billion [7] Upcoming Earnings - Major companies such as Intel, Intuitive Surgical, and Capital One are set to release earnings after today's close, all currently holding Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) ratings [8]

Core Insights - U.S. jobless claims increased slightly last week, indicating a minor uptick but overall remaining low, suggesting stability in the labor market [1] Group 1 - The slight increase in jobless claims does not indicate a significant deterioration in the labor market [1] - The current level of jobless claims remains subdued, providing little cause for concern regarding employment trends [1]

Group 1: Market Overview - The trading week begins on Tuesday, January 19th, 2026, with the market closed on Monday for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day [1] - The delayed November Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) report is expected on Thursday, skipping the October report due to a government shutdown [4] - The quarterly Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for Q3 2025 is also due on Thursday, with expectations for a revision in line with the previously announced +4.3% growth [5] Group 2: Job Market Insights - Initial Jobless Claims are anticipated to rise above +200K, from +198K reported last week, indicating a stable jobless claims environment despite weak monthly job numbers [6] Group 3: Q4 Earnings Reports - Q4 earnings season begins with reports from 3M (MMM) and D.R. Horton (DHI) before the market opens, and from Netflix (NFLX), United Airlines (UAL), and Interactive Brokers Group (IBKR) after the market closes [7] - Interactive Brokers is expected to grow by +2% on its bottom line and +4.3% on the top, holding a buy rating [9] - Netflix aims for +27.9% growth in earnings and +16.8% in revenues, continuing its expansion into global markets, holding a hold rating [9] - D.R. Horton is expected to improve on a -25% earnings growth forecast with -12% revenues [9]

Neils ChristensenNeils Christensen has a diploma in journalism from Lethbridge College and has more than a decade of reporting experience working for news organizations throughout Canada. His experiences include covering territorial and federal politics in Nunavut, Canada. He has worked exclusively within the financial sector since 2007, when he started with the Canadian Economic Press. Neils can be contacted at: 1 866 925 4826 ext. 1526 nchristensen at kitco.com @Neils_cShareDisclaimer: The views expressed ...

Labor Market Insights - The labor market appears to be stable with minimal layoffs reported, indicating a contained environment [1] - Continuing claims for unemployment benefits are showing a downward trend, suggesting that unemployed individuals are finding jobs [2] - The unemployment rate is expected to decrease to around 4.4% in the upcoming December report, despite recent fluctuations influenced by government shutdowns [3] Economic Indicators - The Beige Book indicates a weaker trend in growth, inflation, and the labor market, with recent data reflecting lower sales, activity, and investment [5][6] - Consumer confidence has not rebounded, and sentiment remains low due to the impact of the government shutdown [8] - Inflation data is anticipated to rise, particularly with a rebound in rent inflation, leading to a higher overall inflation environment [9] Future Economic Outlook - There is an expectation that economic growth will begin to pick up, with a potential shift in narrative regarding the economy in Q1 [10]

Economic Data Overview - The week ahead includes the release of key economic reports, notably the initial estimate of third-quarter GDP, which was delayed due to a government shutdown [3][4] - The Bureau of Economic Analysis will only provide two GDP reports for Q3 instead of the usual three, with the final report scheduled for January 22 [4] Market Schedule - Stock markets will close early at 1 p.m. EST on December 24 and remain closed on December 25 for the Christmas holiday [7][10] - Bond markets will close at 2 p.m. EST on December 24 [10] Key Reports to Watch - Reports scheduled for release include durable goods orders for October, industrial production, and capacity utilization data for October and November, along with the December consumer confidence survey [5][10] - Weekly jobless claims data will also be highlighted following an increase in unemployment reported for November [6][10]

Market Overview - The market has experienced volatility, likened to the "Three Stooges," with tech stocks fluctuating significantly due to AI developments and inflation data [2][3] - The Consumer Price Index (CPI) indicated positive inflation trends, but concerns about data accuracy arose due to the government shutdown [3] - Unemployment rose to 4.6%, but this figure may be overstated, suggesting a more favorable employment situation [3] Job Market Insights - Jobless claims have shown a slight dip, providing a reliable indicator amidst other fluctuating data [4] - The overall market sentiment suggests a flat trajectory for December, with alternating good and bad news days expected [5] IPO Market Developments - Medline's IPO was the largest of the year, raising over $6 billion and marking the biggest IPO since Rivian in 2021, with a stock price increase of 40% [6] - Anticipation surrounds SpaceX's potential IPO, with speculation about a valuation of $1.5 trillion, although no timeline has been established [7][8] Cannabis Industry Updates - The signing of an executive order by President Trump reclassifies marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug, allowing companies to deduct business expenses, potentially boosting cash flows by up to $150 million [11][12][13] - Despite initial stock price increases, marijuana stocks experienced a decline following the executive order, indicating a "buy the rumor, sell the news" scenario [11][14] - Many cannabis companies are involved in both farming and distribution, which may impact their operational strategies moving forward [15]