Simply Wall St
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US stock futures are slightly higher this morning, with E-mini S&P 500 contracts up about 0.1%, as investors weigh a cooler jobs outlook against sticky cost pressures. February nonfarm payrolls are expected at 59,000, which would signal a very modest pace of new jobs, while the unemployment rate is seen holding at 4.3% and wages rising 0.3% month on month, meaning pay packets are still edging up. At the same time, US labor costs climbed 2.8% quarter on quarter in late 2025, suggesting the cost of hiring and keeping workers is still putting pressure on prices. With the 10 year Treasury yield sitting near 4.14%, the key question is whether the Federal Reserve will see this mix of softer hiring and firm labor costs as a reason to keep interest rates higher for longer. This matters most for interest rate sensitive areas such as real estate and smaller, debt heavy companies, compared with cash rich technology and larger growth names that can often absorb higher funding costs more easily.
If sticky labor costs and higher for longer rates worry you, check our 73 resilient stocks with low risk scores before conditions shift.
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Expedia Group (EXPE) jumped 13.44% after analysts highlighted online travel agencies as resilient leaders following the ChatGPT pivot.
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Venture Global (VG) climbed 10.04% after firm earnings, a new Trafigura LNG contract, dividend news, and Qatar supply disruption.
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Booking Holdings (BKNG) gained 8.46% as OpenAI’s checkout pivot eased disruption worries and Mizuho named it a top Internet pick.
Is Venture Global still a smart investment or just hype? Read our most popular narrative and get all the answers you need.
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Ciena (CIEN) dropped 12.88% after supply constraints tempered reaction to raised guidance and higher analyst targets.
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AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) fell 10.52% as mixed analyst target changes followed recent earnings and partnership headlines.
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Coherent (COHR) slid 7.64% after a recent capital raise and AI optics partnership led some traders to lock in gains.
Look past the noise – uncover the top narrative that explains what truly matters for Ciena’s long-term success.
Global inflation and growth readings will take the spotlight, giving you fresh clues on pricing power and demand.
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China inflation data on Monday will show how consumer and producer prices are tracking, which is key for global goods pricing.
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Germany industrial output and factory orders on Monday highlight demand trends in core European manufacturing and export sectors.
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Mexico inflation figures on Monday will shape views on local price pressures that feed into broader EM sentiment.
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Japan GDP and household spending on Monday night offer a read on growth and consumer appetite in a major US trade partner.
