Dow Futures Up Triple Digits Ahead of Job Openings

Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) are up triple digits this morning, while Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) and S&P 500 Index (SPX) futures sit more modestly in the black. Investors are looking ahead to key job openings data, due out at 10 a.m. ET. In the meantime, the U.S. trade deficit widened to $78.2 billion in November, slightly above estimates, as imports surged to their highest levels since 2022 ahead of planned tariffs. 

Continue reading for more on today's market, including: .

• S&P 500 technical risks to watch for, per Schaeffer's Senior V.P. of Research Todd Salamone. 
• Calls pop on major Quantum computing stock.
• Plus, updates from NVDA; TSLA downgraded; and NARI soars on buyout buzz. 

5 Things You Need to Know Today

1. The Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE) saw more than 2.7 million call contracts and over 1.1 million put contracts exchanged on Monday. The single-session equity put/call ratio fell to 0.42 and the 21-day moving average remained at 0.61.
2. Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA) is up 2.2% premarket, after the semiconductor giant announced new gaming chips for PCs as well as artificial intelligence (AI) models for robots and self-driving vehicles, among other things. Should these gains hold, the stock will be on track to hit fresh record highs and add to its 204% 12-month gain.
3. Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is down 1.9% in electronic trading, after a downgrade from BofA Global Research to "neutral" from "buy." The firm cited the stock valuation and execution risks ahead of this month's earnings report. Year over year, the electric vehicle (EV) staple is up 73%. 
4. Inari Medical Inc (NASDAQ:NARI) is up 21.5% before the bell, after news that Stryker plans to buy the company for about $4.9 billion. Several analysts have chimed in from both sides of the aisle in response, including a downgrade to "hold" from "buy" at Canaccord Genuity. Looking to extend last session's 30.6% pop, the equity is now up 1.5% since last January. 
5. The Federal Reserve's meeting minutes are on tap later this week.

Inflation Data out of Europe

Asian markets were mostly higher on Tuesday, driven by a continued rally in tech stocks, with semiconductor equities leading the charge. Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) hit a fresh all-time high, buoyed by Foxconn’s record-breaking fourth-quarter revenue. Japan’s Nikkei surged 2%, China’s Shanghai Composite rose 0.7%, and South Korea’s Kospi edged up 0.1%. However, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1.2%, after the U.S. Defense Department added Tencent Holdings and CATL to its list of "Chinese military companies."

Europe’s major bourses are mixed this afternoon, as investors digest inflation data and corporate earnings. The euro zone's annual inflation rose to 2.4% in December, matching expectations. Meanwhile, preliminary data from France showed a smaller-than-expected price increase last month. In the U.K., Black Friday deals boosted December retail sales by 3.2% year-over-year, and average house prices climbed 3.3%. In Germany, the statistics office corrected inflation for December to 2.8%. At last check, France’s CAC 40 and Germany’s DAX are up 0.7% and 0.4%, respectively, while London’s FTSE 100 slips 0.3%.