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US stock futures are pointing slightly higher this morning, with E-mini S&P 500 contracts up about 0.2% and Nasdaq-100 minis up roughly 0.2%, as investors look ahead to fresh clues on how the US economy is really holding up. The key pieces on their radar are the January jobs report, where non farm payrolls are expected to show 70,000 new positions and unemployment steady at 4.4%, and the December retail sales data, which recently stalled and hinted that shoppers may be pulling back. That mix leaves a clear question for investors, especially in consumer focused and rate sensitive sectors: whether slower spending and softer hiring push the Federal Reserve closer to cutting borrowing costs or simply flag a more fragile growth backdrop for company earnings.
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Earnings from large US and global names take the spotlight, with jobs and retail data framing the macro backdrop.
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Labor Market: US non farm payrolls on Wednesday will show whether hiring momentum is cooling alongside softer wage growth.
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Consumer Watch: US retail sales on Wednesday will test how cautious shoppers are after December’s stalled spending.
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T-Mobile US (TMUS) reports Q4 2025 results on Wednesday, highlighting subscriber trends and any updates on capital spending.
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Cisco Systems (CSCO) Q2 2026 earnings on Wednesday will spotlight enterprise IT demand and near term order commentary.
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Applied Materials (AMAT), Arista Networks (ANET), Coinbase (COIN), Airbnb (ABNB) report Thursday, shaping views on chips, networking, crypto and travel demand.
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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