5 things to know before the stock market opens

Stock futures rose after major indexes turned in a mixed performance on Thursday. Investors are awaiting the release of the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure. Netflix has reached a deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery; Hewlett Packard Enterprise shares fell after a disappointing earnings report. Ulta Beauty shares are rising after the retailer released strong results. Here’s what you need to know today.

Stock futures rose ahead of key inflation data

Stock futures rose slightly this morning as investors awaited the important inflation report and brief news on the Netflix-Warner Bros. deal. Discovery. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.1% recently, while futures tied to the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq rose on Thursday, posting gains for the eighth time in the past nine sessions, while the Dow Jones ended slightly lower. The Dow Jones and S&P 500 enter the session less than 1% away from new record closing highs. Bitcoin price recently reached $91,200, down from its overnight high of $92,700. Gold futures rose 0.3% to $4,255 per ounce, while West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 0.2% to $59.55 per barrel. The 10-year Treasury yield, which affects borrowing costs on all types of loans, rose to 4.12%, near a two-week high.

The inflation report comes as the Federal Reserve prepares to make an interest rate decision next week

Another batch of economic data, delayed by the government shutdown, is scheduled for release on Friday morning. The Personal Consumption Expenditures Index report, the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, is expected to show that prices rose 2.8% over the 12 months ending in September, which would be the highest since August 2024. “Core” inflation, which excludes more volatile items such as gas and some foods, is expected to rise 2.9%. The report’s findings will factor into the Fed’s decision on interest rates when its policy committee meets next week. The Fed is balancing concerns about a weak labor market with persistent concerns about inflationary pressures. Traders expect the Fed to cut interest rates by a quarter point for the third straight meeting by 87%, according to CME Group’s FedWatch tool.

Netflix reaches $83 billion deal to acquire Warner. Bruce Discovery

The bidding war for Warner Bros. is over. Discovery (WBD) is officially in the works, as the entertainment giant and Netflix (NFLX) announced the $83 billion deal on Friday morning. Warner Bros. plans to Discovery to continue its previous spin-off, which will include spinning off its cable TV channels including CNN and TBS into a standalone business, leaving the remaining TV and movie studios and streaming services to be acquired by Netflix for $27.75 per share. The two companies expect the deal to be closed in the third quarter of next year. Late Thursday night, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg You mentioned that Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery has entered exclusivity deal talks, with other bidders Paramount Skydance (PSKY) and Comcast (CMCSA) exiting the competition. Warner Bros. shares rose. Discovery rose 0.3% to $24.60 in recent pre-market trading, while Netflix stock fell more than 2%. Netflix shares hit their lowest level since April this week amid investor concerns about the potential deal.

HP Enterprise shares decline as a result, and the outlook is disappointing

Shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) fell on Friday morning after the server maker reported lower sales and profits than analysts expected. After the bell on Thursday, HP Enterprise said fiscal fourth-quarter revenue was $9.68 billion, while earnings per share were 11 cents, less than a third of what analysts expected, according to estimates compiled by Visible Alpha. The company’s revenue and EPS outlook for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 was also below analyst consensus. Shares of HP Enterprise fell 9% in recent premarket trading. Entering today’s session, the stock was up 7% since the beginning of the year, significantly lagging the S&P 500’s performance.

Ulta stock is rising on strong results and holiday season optimism

Shares of Ulta Beauty ( ULTA ) jumped after the beauty retailer reported earnings that beat Wall Street estimates. Ulta reported sales of $2.86 billion and earnings per share of $5.14 for the third quarter, well above the analyst consensus. JPMorgan analysts raised their price target on Ulta stock to $647 from $606 previously, noting that executives said Ulta was pleased with its performance through Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday to start the current quarter, but acknowledged there could be a decline in sales heading into Christmas due to uncertainty about consumer spending. Ulta shares, which enter today up 23% so far in 2025, were up more than 7% at $572 before the opening bell.