5 things to know before the stock market opens Tuesday, January 3

Here are the most important news items investors need to start their trading day:

Welcome to the first trading day of 2023. The bulls are covering their wounds after a difficult 2022 and are looking for a good start. But the issues that plagued markets last year – inflation, the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes and fears of an impending recession – remain pressing. The New Year also wastes no time bringing important new data to market. On Wednesday, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, will drop, as will the minutes of the most recent Fed meeting. Then, on Friday, investors will look at the December jobs report to see if Fed policymakers have had any success in cooling down a hot labor market. Read live market updates this.

Tesla said that 405,278 new cars have been delivered in the fourth quarter, ending a year in which the electric vehicle maker saw an overall growth of 40% in delivery numbers. But that fourth-quarter number was much lower than what analysts expected. In fact, measured against the estimated range included in the FactSet consensus — 409,000 to 433,000 — it’s well below the low end of the range. Shares of Tesla fell dramatically last year as traditional automakers began ramping up production of their own electric vehicles and CEO Elon Musk sold a large chunk of stock and focused much of his attention on the company. attention to his chaotic Twitter takeover. Tesla has also suffered a Covid-related slowdown in China. Meanwhile, Musk has told Tesla employees not to pay too much attention to the market. “In the long run, I strongly believe that Tesla will be the most valuable company on Earth!” I wrote in a recent email.

The retail industry is worried about how it will perform in…January? Often the time for shoppers to return items or use gift cards they receive during the holidays, the first month of the year is often the latest month when many retailers wrap up their biggest quarters. This year is differentHowever, as CNBC’s Melissa Repko pointed out. The verdict on the year-end shopping season remains unresolved, so companies are hoping to lure shoppers in with more January deals to push sales higher. It is also an important month for clearing excess inventory, which was a big problem last year, reducing the profit margins of chains. In 2023, with the potential for a recession pending and shoppers becoming increasingly picky, it’s important for retailers to have the right inventory.

A Ukrainian attack on New Year’s Eve that left dozens of Russian soldiers dead in a makeshift barracks has sparked a new wave of condemnation at home against Moscow’s military commanders. Critics say the barracks, located in occupied Ukraine, is in the same building as a large ammunition depot and officers know it is within range of missiles, according to Reuters. Observers believe that the accumulated ammunition ultimately made the attack more devastating. Read live war updates this.

Sports world froze in shock Monday night after Buffalo Bills safe for Damar Hamlin fall on the field and the paramedics worked to keep him alive. The incident occurred during the highly anticipated NFL “Monday Night Football” game between the Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals on Disney’s ESPN channel. After making a tackle, Hamlin stood up but immediately fell down when his heart stopped. The 24-year-old defender was taken to the hospital and is in a critical condition. The game has been postponed. Horrible injuries are common in football, but Hamlin’s injury is especially chilling when the situation plays out on live television. “I’ve never seen anything like it since I played,” said NFL executive Troy Vincent, who played in the league from 1992 to 2006.

– CNBC’s Tanaya Macheel, Lora Kolodny, Melissa Repko and Natasha Turak contributed to this report.

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