Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:
1. Back in action
2. Wildfire cost
The remains of a home lost in the Eaton fire on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, CA.
Jason Armond | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Wildfires in the Los Angeles area continue to burn out of control, forcing nearly 180,000 people to evacuate and destroying thousands of structures. The fires could become the costliest blaze in U.S. history, with JPMorgan estimating that insured losses may exceed $20 billion. The Palisades Fire — the largest of five burning in the county — has caused catastrophic damage in the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood, where the median home price is more than $3 million, according to JPMorgan. The investment bank on Thursday estimated economic losses from the fires at nearly $50 billion, more than double its estimate from the prior day.
3. Best is yet to come
Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Airlines, speaking on CNBC’s Power Lunch on Dec. 17th, 2024.
Adam Jeffery | CNBC
Delta Air Lines beat sales and earnings estimates for the fourth quarter on Friday and gave a first-quarter outlook that topped analyst expectations. “Everywhere, we see consumers continue to prioritize experience over goods,” CEO Ed Bastian told CNBC, saying that sets Delta up for its “best financial year in our history.” Delta — the first major U.S. airline to report earnings this quarter — said it expects to generate more than $4 billion in free cash this year, an 18% increase from 2024.
4. No more cuts
Michelle Bowman, member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, arrives to attend the afternoon session on the last day of the 2023 European Central Bank Forum on Central Banking in Sintra, Portugal, on June 28, 2023.
Horacio Villalobos | Corbis News | Getty Images
5. Sentencing
Former U.S. President Donald Trump departs the courtroom after being found guilty on all 34 counts in his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 30, 2024 in New York City.
Justin Lane | Getty Images
— CNBC’s Sean Conlon, Spencer Kimball, Leslie Josephs, Jeff Cox, Kevin Breuninger and Dan Mangan contributed to this report.