The consumer price index rose in August at a 2.9 percent annual rate, up from July. Jobless claims rose to the highest level since 2021, as the labor market weakens.

As traders approach another pivotal day for financial markets, a series of crucial decisions and economic data releases that could sway market dynamics are expected on Thursday, September 4, 2025. The day’s lineup includes key reports on employment, services sector activity, and oil inventories, all of which have the potential to influence investor sentiment and market direction. Major Economic Events to Watch • 8:15 AM ET - ADP Nonfarm Employment Change (Forecast:73K, Previous: 104K): A measure of private sector employment change. • 8:30 AM ET - Initial Jobless Claims (Forecast:230K, Previous: 229K): Weekly report on first-time unemployment insurance claims. • 9:45 AM ET - Services PMI (Forecast:55.4, Previous: 55.7): Markit’s index of service sector activity. • 10:00 AM ET - ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI (Forecast:50.9, Previous: 50.1): Broad measure of service sector economic activity. • 12:00 PM ET - EIA Crude Oil Inventories (Previous:-2.392M): Weekly change in commercial crude oil stocks. Other Important Economic Events to Watch • 8:30 AM ET - Nonfarm Productivity (Forecast:2.8%, Previous: 2.4%): Measure of labor efficiency excluding farming. • 8:30 AM ET - Unit Labor Costs (Forecast:1.2%, Previous: 1.6%): Indicator of labor costs and potential inflation. • 8:30 AM ET - Trade Balance (Forecast:-77.70B, Previous: -60.20B): Difference between imported and exported goods and services. • 8:30 AM ET - Continuing Jobless Claims (Forecast:1,960K, Previous: 1,954K): Ongoing unemployment insurance claims. • 8:30 AM ET - Exports (Previous:277.30B): Total value of U.S. merchandise exports. 3rd party Ad. Not an offer or recommendation by Investing.com. See disclosure here or remove ads. • 8:30 AM ET - Imports (Previous:337.50B): Total value of goods brought into the U.S. • 9:45 AM ET - S&P Global Composite PMI (Forecast:55.4, Previous: 55.1): Combined index of manufacturing and services sector activity. • 10:00 AM ET - ISM Non-Manufacturing Employment (Previous:46.4): Service sector employment component of ISM report. • 12:00 PM ET - EIA Weekly Cushing Oil Inventories (Previous:-0.838M): Crude oil storage levels at key delivery point. • 12:05 PM ET - FOMC Member Williams Speaks: Potential insights into monetary policy. • 1:00 PM ET - Atlanta Fed GDPNow (Forecast:3.0%, Previous: 3.0%): Running estimate of real GDP growth. • 4:30 PM ET - Reserve balances with Federal Reserve Banks (Previous:3.217T): Amount of money held by banks at the Fed. • 4:30 PM ET - Fed’s Balance Sheet (Previous:6,603B): Statement of Fed’s assets and liabilities. • 7:00 PM ET - Fed Goolsbee Speaks: Possible commentary on economic outlook and policy. Other Economic Events to Watch • 7:30 AM ET - Challenger Job Cuts (Previous:62.075K): Report on announced corporate layoffs. • 8:00 AM ET - Total Vehicle Sales (Forecast:16.10M, Previous: 16.40M): Annualized number of new vehicles sold domestically. • 8:30 AM ET - Jobless Claims 4-Week Avg. (Previous:228.50K): Smoothed measure of weekly jobless claims. • 10:00 AM ET - ISM Non-Manufacturing New Orders (Previous:50.3): New orders component of ISM services report. 3rd party Ad. Not an offer or recommendation by Investing.com. See disclosure here or remove ads. • 10:00 AM ET - ISM Non-Manufacturing Prices (Previous:69.9): Price trends in service sector. • 10:00 AM ET - ISM Non-Manufacturing Business Activity (Previous:52.6): Business activity component of ISM services report. • 10:30 AM ET - Natural Gas Storage (Previous:18B): Weekly change in natural gas inventories. • 11:30 AM ET - 4-Week Bill Auction (Previous:4.245%): Short-term Treasury bill auction results. • 11:30 AM ET - 8-Week Bill Auction (Previous:4.145%): Short-term Treasury bill auction results. • 12:00 PM ET - EIA Weekly Gasoline Production (Previous:0.427M): Weekly gasoline production data. • 12:00 PM ET - Gasoline Inventories (Previous:-1.236M): Weekly change in gasoline stocks. • 12:00 PM ET - EIA Weekly Distillate Fuel Production (Previous:-0.113M): Weekly distillate fuel production data. • 12:00 PM ET - EIA Refinery Crude Runs (Previous:-0.328M): Weekly crude oil processed by refineries. • 12:00 PM ET - EIA Weekly Distillates Stocks (Previous:-1.786M): Weekly change in distillate fuel inventories. • 12:00 PM ET - EIA Weekly Heatoil Stock (Previous:0.102M): Weekly change in heating oil inventories. • 12:00 PM ET - EIA Weekly Refinery Utilization Rates (Previous:-2.0%): Percentage of operable refinery capacity utilized. • 12:00 PM ET - EIA Weekly Crude Imports (Previous:0.299M): Weekly crude oil import data. For further information and the latest updates, please refer to our Economic Calendar, here. This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C. 3rd party Ad. Not an offer or recommendation by Investing.com. See disclosure here or remove ads. The best opportunities often hide in plain sight—buried among thousands of stocks you'd never have time to research individually. That's why smart investors use our Stock Screener with 50+ predefined screens and 160+ customizable filters to surface hidden gems instantly. For example, the Piotroski's Picks method averages 23% annual returns by focusing on financial strength, and you can get it as a standalone screen. Momentum Masters catches stocks gaining serious traction, while Blue-Chip Bargains finds undervalued giants. With screens for dividends, growth, value, and more, you'll discover opportunities others miss. 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WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The number of Americans filing new applications for jobless benefits fell last week, but tepid hiring could raise the unemployment rate to 4.3% in August. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits decreased 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 229,000 for the week ended August 23, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 230,000 claims for the latest week. The labor market is stuck in a no-hire, no-fire mode amid President Donald Trump’s protectionist trade policy, which has raised the nation’s average import duty to its highest in a century. Employment gains averaged 35,000 jobs per month over the last three months compared to 123,000 during the same period in 2024, the government reported in early August. Domestic demand has also slowed considerably, attributed in part to tariffs. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell last week signaled a possible rate cut at the U.S. central bank’s September 16-17 policy meeting, in a nod to rising labor market risks, but also added that inflation remained a threat. The Fed has kept its benchmark overnight interest rate in the 4.25%-4.50% range since December. The number of people receiving benefits after an initial week of aid, a proxy for hiring, fell 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 1.954 million during the week ending August 16, the claims report showed. The so-called continuing claims data covered the week during which the government surveyed households for August’s unemployment rate. 3rd party Ad. Not an offer or recommendation by Investing.com. See disclosure here or remove ads. A shrinking labor market pool because of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown is softening the impact of lackluster hiring on the unemployment rate. Economists said reduced labor supply suggests the economy needs to create less than 90,000 jobs per month to keep up with growth in the working population. Many expect the unemployment to edge up to 4.3% in August from 4.2% in July. Higher continuing claims mirrored consumers’ deteriorating perceptions of the labor market. A survey from the Conference Board on Tuesday showed the share of consumers viewing jobs as "hard to get" jumped to a 4-1/2-year high in August. "The unemployment rate has been relatively stable because layoffs are low," said Nancy Vanden Houten, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics. "Going forward, slower labor force growth will also hold down the unemployment rate, masking some of the potential fissures in the labor market." The best opportunities often hide in plain sight—buried among thousands of stocks you'd never have time to research individually. That's why smart investors use our Stock Screener with 50+ predefined screens and 160+ customizable filters to surface hidden gems instantly. For example, the Piotroski's Picks method averages 23% annual returns by focusing on financial strength, and you can get it as a standalone screen. Momentum Masters catches stocks gaining serious traction, while Blue-Chip Bargains finds undervalued giants. With screens for dividends, growth, value, and more, you'll discover opportunities others miss. Our current favorite screen is Under $10/share, which is great for discovering stocks trading under $10 with recent price momentum showing some very impressive returns!

The Dow Jones index rose Thursday ahead of GDP numbers and jobless claims. Nvidia stock dropped on earnings. The post Stock Market Today: Dow Rises Ahead Of GDP, Jobless Claims; Nvidia Slides On Earnings (Live Coverage) appeared first on Investor's Business Daily.

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Stocks open lower after jobless claims-data, Walmart results  MarketWatch

(Reuters) -The number of Americans filing new applications for jobless benefits rose by the most in about three months last week in an initial signal that layoffs may be picking up and adding to signs the labor market is weakening. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits climbed 11,000 - the largest increase since late May - to a seasonally adjusted 235,000 for the week ended August 16, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 225,000 claims for the latest week. The labor market had split into low firings and tepid hiring as businesses navigate President Donald Trump’s protectionist trade policy, which has raised the nation’s average import duty to its highest in a century. Employment gains averaged 35,000 jobs per month over the last three months, the government reported in early August. Domestic demand grew in the second quarter at its slowest pace since the fourth quarter of 2022. The number of people receiving benefits after an initial week of aid, a proxy for hiring, rose 30,000 to a seasonally adjusted 1.972 million - the highest since November 2021 - during the week ending August 9, the claims report showed. The elevated so-called continuing claims align with consumers’ rising perceptions that jobs are hard to find. Economists said the continuing claims trend was consistent with the unemployment rate rising to 4.3% in August from 4.2% in July. With valuations skyrocketing in 2024, many investors are uneasy putting more money into stocks. Unsure where to invest next? Get access to our proven portfolios and discover high-potential opportunities. In 2024 alone, ProPicks AI identified 2 stocks that surged over 150%, 4 additional stocks that leaped over 30%, and 3 more that climbed over 25%. That's an impressive track record. With portfolios tailored for Dow stocks, S&P stocks, Tech stocks, and Mid Cap stocks, you can explore various wealth-building strategies.

The Dow Jones index dropped Thursday ahead of initial jobless claims. Walmart stock sold off on earnings miss. The post Stock Market Today: Dow Jones Futures Fall Ahead Of Jobless Claims; Walmart Tumbles On Earnings Miss (Live Coverage) appeared first on Investor's Business Daily.