Investors will also be looking for clues on the timing of the next interest rate hike today when Federal Reserve officials Jeffrey Lacker and Charles Evans give speeches.
It's also important that you educate yourself on the real problems facing the world today. While Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton jockey for position in the presidential race, it's grown increasingly clear that neither is educated on the real problems in the global finance sector.
Money Morning Global Credit Strategist Michael Lewitt explains just how vulnerable the global markets are to a downturn, and more important, how dangerous the central banks have become.
On Monday, the Dow slipped 54 points after a slew of weak economic data.
Monday's Stock Market Numbers:
Dow Jones: 18,253.78; -54.37; -0.30%
S&P 500: 2,161.20; -7.07; -0.33%
Nasdaq: 5,300.87; -11.13; -0.21%
Now let's look at the most important market events and stocks to watch today, plus your economic calendar, for Oct. 4, 2016.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average projected a 25-point gain at the opening bell as earnings season kicks off. Of course, investors will spend most of the week speculating on this Friday's release of the September jobs report.
Trending: How to Profit When Yellen Raises Rates
If history proves us right, it's going to be a volatile month. That's why investors need to read our list of the best stocks to buy in October, right here.
Oil prices were sliding in pre-market hours after Iranian production figures rattled global sentiment. The WTI crude oil price today fell 0.7%. The Brent crude oil price dipped 0.5%.
In September, Iran produced roughly 2.8 million barrels, matching the levels before Western nations imposed sanctions on the OPEC member. Despite the small downturn, traders anticipate that the pending OPEC deal forged in Algeria will support prices. The Iranian announcement comes at a time that Saudi Arabia is pumping crude at record levels. Money Morning Global Energy Strategist Dr. Kent Moors has called the OPEC deal a game changer.
But as Kent explains, this deal means nothing unless OPEC is able to do this first...
On Monday, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton ripped into the leadership of investment bank Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC). Clinton said the company engaged in "bullying thousands of employees into committing fraud against unsuspecting customers." The statement comes a week after Rep. Maxine Waters called for Congress to break up the bank. In 2015, the bank donated between $100,000 and $250,000 to the Clinton Foundation. In 2011, Wells Fargo gave $200,000 to her husband Bill Clinton for a speech.
Speaking of Hillary Clinton... the big news this morning is about WikiLeaks.
Donald Trump adviser Roger Stone has warned that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's run for the White House will soon be "done." He predicts the D-Date will be tomorrow, Oct. 5. Exiled WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange plans to release new documents on the former secretary of state tomorrow. So what does Assange have on Clinton? Read the latest insight on this story, right here.
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About the Author
Garrett Baldwin is a globally recognized research economist, financial writer, consultant, and political risk analyst with decades of trading experience and degrees in economics, cybersecurity, and business from Johns Hopkins, Purdue, Indiana University, and Northwestern.