1. Sprint in the spotlight: Sprint stock may see higher-than-normal trading volume on Thursday after President-elect Donald Trump praised the company for creating new American jobs.
Sprint confirmed it would “create or bring back to America” 5,000 jobs, mostly in customer care and sales.
Trump campaigned on bringing jobs back to the U.S. But the 5,000 Sprint jobs confirmed Wednesday aren’t exactly new — they are part of a previously announced initiative led by Japan’s Softbank to create 50,000 jobs in the U.S.
2. Market movers — Toshiba, Takata: Shares in Toshiba and Takata made big, divergent moves on Thursday.
Toshiba shares dropped another 17% in Tokyo on worries about the company’s financial stability. The stock has fallen by more than 40% after the firm warned this week it’s expecting billions of dollars in losses from its takeover of a nuclear construction business.
Meanwhile, shares in auto parts maker Takata soared by 16.5% on reports that the company is close to settling a case with the U.S. Department of Justice over its deadly airbags.
The company may face a penalty of up to $1 billion. Its faulty airbags have led to at least 11 deaths.
3. Oil in focus: Crude oil futures are dipping a bit after prices hit a 2016 high on Wednesday.
Trading could be volatile Thursday as the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports weekly crude oil inventory data at 11 a.m. ET.
4. Global market overview: There’s a fair bit of negativity in stock markets right now.
U.S. stock futures are looking a bit soft.
European markets are mostly dipping in early trading, and Asian markets ended the day with mixed results.
This comes after the Dow Jones industrial average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq all declined on Wednesday, retreating from recent record-setting levels.
5. Russia braces for more sanctions: The Obama administration is preparing to announce, as soon as Thursday, a series of retaliation measures against Russia for meddling in the 2016 election, according to U.S. officials briefed on the plans.
The actions are expected to include expanded sanctions and diplomatic measures, the officials said.
A representative for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned the country would respond to any “hostile steps.”
Russian stock markets are slipping a bit Thursday, though the moves are rather small.
6. Coming this week:
Thursday – The U.S. Department of Labor releases weekly jobless claims data.
Friday – U.S. bond market set to close at 2 p.m.