5 Things to Know Before the Stock Market Opens

Stock futures are rising this morning as the market looks to start the year on a high note after posting big gains in 2025; Tesla shares are higher in premarket trading ahead of the expected release of delivery numbers from the EV maker; furniture seller stocks are gaining ground after the White House announced a year-long delay on increases in furniture tariffs; Baidu shares are surging after the Chinese tech giant announced it would spin off its AI chip unit; and prices of gold and silver are rising as the precious metals resume their rally after a recent stumble. Here's what you need to know today.

Stock Futures Rise to Kick Off 2026 Trading

Stock futures are pointing to a higher open as the market looks to rebound from four straight days of losses at the end of 2025. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.4% recently, while those linked to the benchmark S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 0.6% and 1%, respectively. Analysts expect another solid year for stocks in 2026, after the Nasdaq, S&P 500 and Dow respectively gained roughly 20%, 16%, and 13% last year. Bitcoin was at $89,500 this morning, after hitting a low of around $87,500 yesterday. The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which affects borrowing costs on all sorts of loans, was holding steady at 4.15%.

Tesla Shares Move Higher Ahead of Deliveries Report

Shares of Tesla (TSLA) are rising ahead of today’s expected release of fourth-quarter delivery numbers. The electric vehicle maker is expected to report 422,850 deliveries, which would represent a decline from the third quarter, when buyers rushed to purchase the company’s vehicles ahead of the expiration of a federal tax credit for EVs. Tesla is forecast to report 1.64 million deliveries for 2025, according to analyst estimates released by the company. Tesla delivered roughly 1.8 million vehicles in both 2023 and 2024. Tesla shares, which rose more than 11% in 2025 as investors increasingly focus on the company's non-EV businesses, were up 1.5% in recent premarket trading.

Furniture Sellers Gain as Tariff Increases Delayed

Shares of furniture sellers are rising ahead of the opening bell after the White House said it would delay a scheduled increase in tariffs on upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities until 2027. The move comes after President Donald Trump set a 25% tariff on these products in September. Those tariffs were scheduled to increase on Jan. 1, but the White House said the increases would be delayed amid productive negotiations with trading partners. Furniture stocks responded to the news, with RH (RH), Wayfair (W) and MillerKnoll (MLKN) each rising about 2%, and Williams-Sonoma (WSM) adding 1%.

Baidu Shares Soar on Spinoff of AI Chip Unit

Baidu (BIDU) shares are surging after the Chinese tech giant announced it would spin off its artificial intelligence (AI) chip unit. Baidu said that it has applied for a listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for its  Kunlunxin AI chip unit. The announcement didn’t provide details about the size of the proposed offering. Baidu is China’s leading search engine and the company is sometimes compared to Google. Baidu's U.S.-listed shares were up 10% in recent premarket trading, after rising more than 50% in 2025.

Gold and Silver Resume Climb After Recent Stumble

Gold and silver futures are rising as precious metals look to resume their climb after setting several new record highs in recent weeks. Silver futures were up 4% at $73.45 an ounce, while gold rose 1.4% to $4,400 per ounce. Gold and silver prices slid last week after the CME Group twice raised the margin requirements for the precious metals, requiring traders to put up more cash upfront. Precious metals serve as a safe haven investment amid economic and geopolitical uncertainty.

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