5 things to know before the stock market opens Thursday

Apple bucks the tech layoff trend. Amazon ends its AmazonSmile charity program. Hertz and Denver partner to expand EVs. Here are the most important news items that investors

need to start their trading day:1. Momentum stalls out Wednesday was rough all around for stocks. The Dow had its worst day since mid-December, while the Nasdaq saw its

seven-day winning streak snapped. Bank stocks weighed on markets, as did weak economic data: Holiday retail sales disappointed, and the producer price index, a measure of

wholesale inflation, was softer than expected. On Thursday, investors will be listening to Fed speakers, including Vice Chair Lael Brainard, and parsing the latest wave of big

earnings, including Procter and Gamble (before the bell) and Netflix (after the close). Read live markets updates here.2. Why Apple is dodging layoffs Tech companies have

slashed tens of thousands of jobs over the past year. Amazon is in the process of laying off about 18,000 employees, while Microsoft said this week it would cut about 10,000

positions. Google parent Alphabet and Facebook owner Meta have also laid off workers. But Apple is bucking the trend. The iPhone maker, unlike others in Silicon Valley, didn't

ramp up hiring during the pandemic, and so far has avoided announcing major layoffs. CNBC's Kif Leswing and Gabriel Cortes break down this phenomenon in a series of charts

here.