The Dow Jones Industrial Average projected an 91-point gain this morning despite U.S. President Donald Trump considering imposing new tariffs on China.
Here are the pre-market numbers for the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq:
| Index | Pre-Market Trading | Point Change | Percentage Change |
| Dow Jones | 26,050.00 | 91.00 | 0.35% |
| S&P 500 | 2,886.00 | 11.25 | 0.39% |
| Nasdaq | 7,478.75 | 40.25 | 0.54% |
Now here's a closer look at today's most important market events and stocks, plus Monday's economic calendar.
The Top Stock Market Stories for Monday
- President Donald Trump said this weekend that the administration is finalizing plans to slap new tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods. The trade tensions come at a difficult time, as the United States and Canada have still not finalized a plan to revitalize the NAFTA agreement. President Trump also told reporters that the United States and Japan have started talks around trade.
On Friday, the Labor Department announced that the U.S. economy added 201,000 new jobs in August. That figure beat market expectations.- Finally, this week will mark the 10-year anniversary of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy. On Sept. 15, 2008, one of Wall Street's largest banks filed for bankruptcy after financial leaders failed to secure a buyer for the embattled firm.
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Three Stocks to Watch Today: BABA, TSLA, CBS
- Shares of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE: BABA) fell 1.2% after founder and Chair Jack Ma announced he will be stepping down next year. Ma said that the demands of the chair role required tireless "ability and energy." The firm said that CEO Daniel Zhang will assume the position in 12 months.
- Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) shares added more than 3% this morning despite the recent departure of senior level executives Dave Morton and Gaby Toledano. The company has seen 41 executives depart the firm this year, but little explanation has been provided for the mass exodus.
- CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) stock will be in focus after news broke that CEO Leslie Moonves will be stepping down. The media executive has faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. The firm said that acting COO Joseph Ianniello could fill the CEO role until the board of directors finds a "permanent successor."
- Look for earnings reports from Casey's General Stores Inc. (Nasdaq: CASY), National Beverage Corp. (Nasdaq: FIZZ), Limoniera Co. (Nasdaq: LMNR), and Matrix Service Co. (Nasdaq: MTRX).
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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.