Dow rises as traders bet the Fed will hold rates steady following jobless rate jump: Live updates

Papa John’s advanced 2.3% after Wedbush got off the sidelines on the pizza chain’s stock, calling it too cheap to ignore.

Analyst Nick Setyan upgraded shares to outperform from neutral and raised his target price for the stock by $15 to $95. Setyan’s new target implies he believes the stock could gain 25.5% over the next year.

He called the stock’s current 16% discount to peers’ median enterprise-value-to-2024-EBITDA multiple of 16.3-times “unwarranted.” With expectations for improvements in same store sales growth and margin expensive, he said “an in-line multiple is appropriate.”

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s state-run oil giant, is thinking about selling as much as $50 billion in shares.

Citing people familiar with the matter, the Journal said Saudi Arabia decided to host new offerings on the Riyadh exchange in an effort to avoid the risks that come with an international listing.

Aramco didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

— Fred Imbert

The Securities and Exchange Commission said in filings late Thursday that it was deferring its decisions on several rule change applications that would create spot bitcoin ETFs.

The moves come after the SEC lost in court against Grayscale earlier this week. The case saw judges reject the SEC’s reasoning for denying Grayscale’s application to convert the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust into an ETF.

The deferrals from the SEC were expected, given that it still has time to appeal the Grayscale case and the commission took a similar approach with the Ark21Shares bitcoin ETF application earlier in August.

Even if the SEC does eventually approve a spot bitcoin ETF, industry experts think a fund is unlikely to launch until 2024.

— Jesse Pound

Mining and metals stock Vale rose more than 1% before the bell after JPMorgan upgraded the company to overweight from a neutral rating, citing a cheap valuation.

“Vale had a very challenging start to the year, marked by low volumes, operating challenges and high costs,” the firm said. “However, the coming quarters should look better.”

Read more on the call from JPMorgan here.

— Samantha Subin

The ISM manufacturing index rose to 47.6 in August from 46.4, indicating a smaller-than-expected contraction for the sector. Economists polled by Dow Jones expected the index to come in at 46.8.

Still, it marks the ninth straight month of contraction after 30 months of expansion.

“The U.S. manufacturing sector shrank again, but the uptick in the PMI indicates a slower rate of contraction. The August composite index reading reflects companies managing outputs appropriately as order softness continues, but the month-over-month increase is a sign of improvement,” wrote Timothy Fiore, chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.

— Fred Imbert

Several Wall Street firms downgraded Dollar General following the discount retailer’s earnings and revenue miss Thursday.

“Topline and margin pressure are greater than we anticipated and we believe investors will need to be patient. Moreover, Dollar General’s ongoing traffic and market share loss amidst what we anticipate will be a softening consumer backdrop, disinflation, and student loan impact suggest further comp degradation is likely,” Evercore ISI analyst Michael Montani wrote in a note Friday. He downgraded the stock to in line from outperform.

Dollar General tumbled 12.2% Thursday after its second-quarter earnings per share came in at $2.13, versus the StreetAccount consensus estimate of $2.47. Revenue, as well as guidance for the second quarter and full year, also fell short of expectations.

JPMorgan, Oppenheimer, Loop Capital, Telsey Advisory Group and Raymond James also downgraded the stock. Of those, Raymond James still remained positive, moving the stock to an outperform rating from strong buy.

— Michelle Fox

Traders are growing more confident the Federal Reserve could be done hiking rates this year after the August’s unemployment rate suggested a cooling labor market.

Markets are pricing in a 93% likelihood Friday morning the Fed will hold rates in September, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. That’s up from an 88% chance on Thursday.

Meanwhile, chances the central bank will not raise rates in November also jumped to 65%. That’s up from 58.9% the previous day.

— Sarah Min

The Federal Trade Commission on Friday said its struck a deal allowing Amgen to move foward with its acquistion of Horizon Therapeutics totalling $27.8 billion.

Amgen shares added 0.6%, while Horizon Therapeutics gained nearly 3%.

The companies first announced the acquisition in December 2022. The FTC filed a lawsuit in May seeking to block the takeover.

— Samantha Subin

The unemployment rate jumped to 3.8% in August, while wages rose less than expected, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday, signs of a slowing economy and easing pricing pressures.

The jobless rate was expected to be 3.5%, according to economists polled by Dow Jones, equal with what it was in the prior month. Average hourly earnings rose 0.24% for the month, or 4.29% year-over-year. That was less than the 4.4% increase expected by economists.

Nonfarm payrolls grew by a seasonally adjusted 187,000 for the month, above the 170,000 expected by economists polled by Dow Jones. However, job numbers first reported for June and July were revised down by a combined 110,000.

— Samantha Subin

Check out the companies making headlines before the bell:

• Dell Technologies — Dell Technologies surged 10.5% after exceeding analysts’ second-quarter expectations. The computer company reported adjusted per-share earnings of $1.74 and revenue of $22.93 billion. Analysts polled by Refinitiv anticipated per-share earnings of $1.14 and $20.85 billion. Morgan Stanley named Dell a top pick in IT hardware.
• MongoDB — MongoDB advanced 5% after topping Wall Street expectations in its latest quarter. The database software maker posted adjusted earnings of 93 cents per share on revenue totaling $423.8 million for the second quarter. Those results topped expectations of 46 cents earnings per share and $393 million in revenue, according to a consensus estimate from Refinitiv.
• Lululemon Athletica — Shares added 2.3% in premarket trading after the athletic apparel retailer reported an earnings beat. Earnings per share for its second fiscal quarter came in at $2.68, topping the Refinitiv consensus estimate of $2.54. Revenue was $2.21 billion, versus the $2.17 expected. Lululemon also upped its guidance for the year.

Read the full list here.

— Sarah Min

Shares were roughly 1% higher in premarket trading.

— Brian Evans

Seasonal factors aside, there’s another reason why Wolfe Research’s Rob Ginsberg is treading carefully to start September.

“It’s the fact that the major indices continue to bleed longer-term momentum beneath resistance that keeps gnawing at us,” Ginsberg wrote.

The S&P 500 fell slightly on Thursday, snapping a four-day winning streak. The benchmark also remains below 4,600 after the August drop, a key level Ginsberg is watching.

— Fred Imbert, Michael Bloom

U.S. Treasury yields ticked higher Friday as investors awaited a key jobs report that could provide clues about whether the labor market is cooling and inform the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decisions ahead.

At 4:24 a.m. ET, the yield on the 10-year Treasury was up by over two basis points to 4.1142%. The 2-year Treasury yield was last trading less than one basis point higher at 4.8681%.

Yields and prices have an inverted relationship. One basis point equals 0.01%.

The jobs report is due to be released at 8.30 a.m. ET.

Five of China’s largest banks have cut interest rates on yuan deposits, Reuters reported. They include the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank Corp and Agricultural Bank of China.

It comes on the same day the People’s Bank of China said it will reduce the foreign exchange reserve requirement ratio for financial institutions by 200 basis points from Sept. 15.

ICBC cut its one-year yuan deposit rate by 10 basis points to 1.55% and its two-year yuan deposit rate by 20 basis points to 1.85% with immediate effect. Three- and five-year deposit rates were cut by 25 basis points.

Reuters reported BOC cut rates by the same amount as ICBC, adding that the Agricultural Bank of China “made similar reductions.”

— Reuters, Lim Hui Jie

South Korea’s factory activity contracted at a faster pace in August, according to private surveys by S&P Global.

The country’s manufacturing purchasing managers index fell to 48.9 from 49.4, marking the 14th straight month where the PMI has remained below the break even level of 50.

A PMI reading above 50 represents an expansion, while a reading under 50 represents a contraction in the sector.

— Lim Hui Jie

Japan’s factory activity contracted for a third straight month in August, according to private surveys by the au Jibun bank.

The country’s manufacturing purchasing index came in at 49.6, slightly lower than the 49.7 in the flash estimates last week and unchanged from the July figure.

“Weak client confidence and subdued economic conditions reportedly weighed on new orders, though some firms mentioned that new product launches had partially offset the decline,” the bank said in a report.

— Lim Hui Jie

The People’s Bank of China announced Friday that starting from Sept. 15, it would reduce the foreign exchange reserve requirement ratio for financial institutions to 4%, from 6%.

The cut follows a number of reductions to various interest rates in the last several weeks in an effort to shore up the economy.

The PBOC on Friday set the midpoint of the yuan against the U.S. dollar at 7.1788, a touch stronger than the 7.1811 on Thursday, according to Wind Information.

The offshore-traded yuan weakened past 7.24 yuan versus the greenback, according to Wind.

— Evelyn Cheng

Russell Investments investment strategy analyst BeiChen Lin expects interest rates to likely remain steady in September, absent a significant reacceleration in the labor market or inflation rates.

“By our estimates, U.S. interest rates are already in deeply restrictive territory,” Lin wrote in a note, adding that the risk of a mild-to-moderate recession in the U.S. within the next year remains more likely than not. “Leaving interest rates steady at these elevated levels just means the Fed isn’t pressing the brake further into the floor, not that the Fed has lifted its foot off the brake.”

Investors should refrain chasing near-term rallies in the market and instead favor defensive stocks of companies that have strong balance sheets, the strategist advised.

“After a long wait at a transit stop, it’s understandable that people get excited when a bus finally appears to be approaching,” he said. “But this is a bus without an LED destination sign, and it could turn out to be an out-of-town express that takes you past soft landing village and into recessionland.”

— Pia Singh

Municipal bonds look promising as yields rise and recession fears heat up, and discerning investors may be able to pick up a few attractive plays within the space, says Manulife Investment Management’s Adam Weigold.

Outside of general obligation bonds, which give state and local governments a way to raise money, investors may consider revenue bonds, said Weigold, head of municipal strategies at the firm. “We like airports,” he told CNBC in a phone interview. “Airport usage has come way back … They have a lot of cash on hand and do OK during recessions.”

He also highlighted hospitals and health care for investors who have a longer-term outlook.

In an economic downturn, a countercyclical play may emerge, Weigold said: tobacco bonds, a high yield corner of the muni market.

Tobacco bonds date back to 1998, when states had reached a landmark settlement with tobacco manufacturers to cover health-care costs related to smoking. These manufacturers now make payments to these settling states, some of which have securitized the payment streams and now issue bonds. Ultimately, the payments are backed by the tobacco producers.

“People smoke more during recessions,” Weigold added. “There are parts of the market that can get interesting when you have a recession.”

–Darla Mercado

Check out the companies making headlines after hours.

• MongoDB — Shares of the database software maker gained 4.4% in extended trading. MongoDB reported earnings of 93 cents per share, excluding items, on revenue totaling $423.8 million in the second quarter. That came in ahead of the earnings per share of 46 cents and $393 million in revenue expected by analysts polled by Refinitiv. 
• Dell Technologies — Dell popped 7.5% after reporting second-quarter earnings that surpassed Wall Street’s expectations. The technology company reported earnings per share of $1.74, excluding items, and $22.93 billion in revenue, while analysts polled by Refinitiv expected earnings per share of $1.14 and $20.85 billion.
• Broadcom — Shares of the semiconductor manufacturing company fell 4.7% after the company posted soft fiscal fourth-quarter guidance. The semiconductor company called for fourth-quarter revenue of $9.27 billion, while analysts polled by Refinitiv anticipated $9.275 billion.

Check out the full list here.

— Pia Singh

Stock futures opened little changed Thursday night as investors look ahead to August’s payrolls report.

Futures linked to the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 opened 0.02% and 0.08% lower, respectively. Dow futures ticked up by 10 points, or 0.03%.

–Darla Mercado