Here are 4 tips for today's trading. This will help you decide where you should invest and what to look for:
1. Jobs report is coming
1. Jobs report is coming
The monthly U.S. jobs report is due at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Economists estimate the nation added 190,000 new jobs last month, which would be better than January's gains of 151,000 jobs, and confirmation that the labor market is gaining momentum.
Economists also predict unemployment will remain at 4.9%, the lowest level since 2008.
Traders will be watching these numbers closely as they will influence the Federal Reserve's thinking on whether to raise interest rates over the next few months.
2. Takeover time
2. Takeover time
Movie theater chain AMC Theaters (AMC) is set to become the biggest in the world after it announced it would acquire Carmike Cinemas (CKEC) for $1.1 billion. AMC is controlled by Dalian Wanda Group, which is owned by China's richest man, Wang Jianlin.
A second deal was announced overnight: travel bag maker Samsonite (SMSEY) is buying its upscale American rival Tumi (TUMI) in a deal worth around $1.8 billion.
3. Global markets overview
3. Global markets overview
Traders are holding back on making any big bets ahead of the U.S. jobs report. Stock futures in New York are steady. European markets aren't making any major moves in early trading, while most Asian markets ended the week with gains.
4. Weekly market recap
4. Weekly market recap
If you ignore Monday, it has been a very positive week for stocks.
The Dow Jones industrial average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq all rallied starting on Tuesday and notched four consecutive days of trading gains.
