• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

1

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
FeaturesWeek Ahead

December Jobs, CES, and Gun Laws—5 Things to Watch in the Week Ahead

By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 3, 2016, 10:06 AM ET
Obama Speaks Before Leaving COP21
PARIS, FRANCE - DECEMBER 01: U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a press conference at the OECD Conference Centre before leaving the Conference On Climate Change COP21 on December 1, 2015 in Paris, France. Obama spoke about the economic impact of global warming and security risks before flying back to Washington. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)Photograph by Pascal Le Segretain via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Hello friends and Fortune readers.

This will be the first full week of 2016, which means new hope for investors after the stock market’s disappointing finish to the previous year. There’s at least hope that a strong monthly jobs report will help the week end on a high note for the economy, while a handful of companies reporting quarterly earnings could help spur market growth with positive results. Meanwhile, a big tech trade show kicks off in Las Vegas this week and President Obama is expected to sign executive orders meant to tighten firearms restrictions.

Here’s what you need to know for the week ahead.

1. A New Year for stocks

Markets open again on Monday for the first time in 2016 after an uninspiring finish to the previous year. U.S. stocks saw their worst overall annual losses since 2008, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing 2015 down 2.2% while the benchmark S&P 500 finished down 0.7%. Only the tech-focused Nasdaq composite ended the year in the black, gaining 5.7%. With the Federal Reserve’s long-awaited interest rate hike finally in the books, there could be slightly less market uncertainty to begin the year, and a strong monthly jobs report at the end of the week could help the stock market get off to a good start to 2016.

2. December jobs report

The Labor Department is likely to report that U.S. employers added roughly 200,000 jobs in December, while the unemployment rate is expected to remain steady at 5%. That would represent a solid increase, though it would still fall just short of the 211,000 jobs the economy added in November. The expected gains for December would push the annual total of new jobs to roughly 2.5 million after the economy added more than 3 million jobs in 2014.

3. Earnings: Monsanto, Walgreens

Seed and agrichemical giant Monsanto (MON) on Wednesday is expected to report an earnings loss for the first quarter of its fiscal year. The company said in November that it could lose as much as 33 cents per share for the quarter due to sluggish corn seed sales and restructuring costs. Meanwhile, Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), the country’s biggest drugstore operator, is expected to report first-quarter sales that fall short of Wall Street’s expectations. Investors will be interested to hear any updates on the company’s planned $9.4 billion acquisition of smaller rival Rite Aid (RAD), which still awaits approval from antitrust regulators. Other companies reporting quarterly earnings this week include alcoholic beverage company Constellation Brands (STZ) and retailer Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY).

4. CES

The Consumer Electronics Show, the annual trade show for tech gadgets, kicks off in Las Vegas on Wednesday. The three-day confab, hosted by the Consumer Technology Association, will feature keynote addresses from notable tech CEOs such as Intel’s (INTC) Brian Krzanich, Netflix’s (NFLX) Reed Hastings, IBM’s (IBM) Ginni Rometty, and General Motors’ (GM) Mary Barra. Fortune‘s editors will also be in attendance at the trade show this week, covering the new products on hand while also interviewing tech executives from the Fortune 500, such as Salesforce’s (CRM) Marc Benioff.

3. Obama pushes gun control measures

President Obama reportedly will move forward with a series of planned executive orders this week aimed at curbing gun violence in the U.S. The orders, which come in the wake of a growing number of mass shootings in the country, would require stricter restrictions on firearms, including requiring more gun-sellers to have licenses and perform background checks on customers.

— Reuters contributed to this post.

About the Author
By Tom Huddleston Jr.
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Features

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Features

Photo of young woman with a photo of a pizza
SuccessThe Interview Playbook
Gen Z grad landed an internship by wearing her university baseball cap to her pizza joint job. Now she works at Cisco
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 14, 2026
14 days ago
Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf
MagazineDefense
Inside Anduril: Meet the quiet engineer-CEO building America’s $31 billion weapons startup
By Allie GarfinkleMay 6, 2026
2 months ago
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
MagazineData centers
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
By Sharon GoldmanMay 6, 2026
2 months ago
The American Express CEO defied haters who said he’d never have the top job—winning with millennials and Gen Z and trouncing the competition
MagazineAmerican Express
The American Express CEO defied haters who said he’d never have the top job—winning with millennials and Gen Z and trouncing the competition
By Shawn TullyMay 6, 2026
2 months ago
Photo of Marc Benioff
Magazinecommunication
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff turned his earnings call into a vodcast. Why other Fortune 500 CEOs might follow
By Rachel VentrescaMay 6, 2026
2 months ago
Intel Chief Exec, Lip-Bu Tan, on stage
EuropeIntel
Intel’s share price just blew the doors off. One man thinks he knows the reason why
By Kamal AhmedApril 27, 2026
2 months ago

Most Popular

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
23 hours ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
3 days ago
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
Success
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 24, 2026
4 days ago
The 33-year-old executive Satya Nadella is trusting to fix Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant
AI
The 33-year-old executive Satya Nadella is trusting to fix Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant
By Sebastian HerreraJune 27, 2026
1 day ago
The end of Putin’s regime will spring from war spending chaos, former central bank advisor says, amid military mutiny threat and fuel-shortage brawls
Europe
The end of Putin’s regime will spring from war spending chaos, former central bank advisor says, amid military mutiny threat and fuel-shortage brawls
By Jason MaJune 27, 2026
15 hours ago
Big Short legend Steve Eisman says everyone is buying the wrong AI stocks
Investing
Big Short legend Steve Eisman says everyone is buying the wrong AI stocks
By Shawn TullyJune 27, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.