5 things to know before the stock market opens on Wednesday

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Here are five important things investors need to know to start their trading day.

gold Yesterday, futures prices crossed the $4,000 per ounce mark for the first time. It was the 43rd all-time high this year for the metal, long seen as a safe bet during turbulent times. Currently, gold is up over 50% in 2025.

Here’s what you need to know:

The soaring price of gold is raising costs for jewelry manufacturers, with some companies raising prices. Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, said gold should make up about 15% of an investor’s portfolio in today’s market, likening it to the market in the early 1970s. However, the stock market could not afford to stagnate. The three major indexes ended Tuesday’s trading in the red, ending a seven-day winning streak. S&P500For CNBC Pro subscribers, we explain the different ways to invest in gold and what’s next for the metal. Follow live market updates.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visits Japan oracleAfter a tough day on the market yesterday, continued to defend.

Oracle’s stock price fell 2.5% after a report raised concerns about low profit margins in the company’s Nvidia chip rental business. But Huang told CNBC’s Jim Cramer that Oracle “will do incredibly well” and will be “incredibly profitable” in the long run.

Speaking with Kramer at the CNBC Investment Club’s monthly meeting on Tuesday, Huang also explained why NVIDIA’s latest partnership with OpenAI is unique, saying, “For the first time, OpenAI is acquiring directly from us.” Hwang’s comments come as some big-name investors, such as Orlando Bravo, are warning of the possibility of a bubble forming around artificial intelligence trade.

Huang will appear on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” at 8 a.m. ET. Watch live on CNBC TV here.

President Donald Trump suggested yesterday that some federal employees who were furloughed during the ongoing government shutdown will not receive back pay when they return to work. “I think it depends on who we’re talking about,” he said. Notably, a 2019 law signed by President Trump provides that furloughed government workers “will be paid for the period during which their appropriations lapse.”

Republicans appear to be increasing pressure to consider Democrats’ health care needs, which are at the heart of the two parties’ disagreements. Republican Sen. Susan Collins reportedly shared a “discussion draft” of the proposal that includes Republican commitments on the Obamacare deal.

Traditional economic data has yet to be released thanks to the government shutdown, but other reports are showing warning signs.

Investment firm Carlyle reported that its data showed the labor market added just 17,000 jobs last month. If correct, this would be a slower pace of growth than the Bureau of Labor Statistics released in August.

Meanwhile, the New York Fed’s monthly survey found that consumers expect inflation to rise next year. Additionally, fewer people expect to be better off financially in a year’s time, according to the report.

tesla Yesterday, we announced more affordable versions of the Model Y SUV and Model 3 sedan. But Wall Street doesn’t seem impressed.

Shares rose 5% on Monday after the electric car maker teased the announcement, but gave up much of that gain on Tuesday, closing more than 4% lower. As CNBC’s Laura Kolodny points out, some investors were hoping for long-promised updates on new products such as the next-generation Roadster.

Tesla also released a new version of its driver assistance system yesterday for fully autonomous driving.

7-Eleven is hoping that Japanese-style renovations will revive struggling U.S. stores. The plans of parent company Seven & i Holdings are as follows.

—CNBC’s Sean Conlon, Spencer Kimball, Raya Neelakandan, Yun Li, Laura Kolodny, Natasha Abelard, Julie Coleman, Kevin Bruninger, Jeff Cox, Jessica Dickler and Erin Doherty contributed to this report. Josephine Rozzelle edited this version.