Thursday’s big stock stories: What’s likely to move the market in the next trading session

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite rose on Wednesday, as shares of Apple popped 5%. Here’s what’s on CNBC’s radar heading into Thursday.

3 questions to ask before raiding your 401(k) for a hardship withdrawal May 1, 2026
Money coaches tell you how to move past the stigma and decide if tapping your retirement fund is rational or reactive.
Morey Stettner
‘There is an imbalance of power’: My husband has cancer. Why must we wait two hours for a 10-minute CT scan? May 1, 2026
“This letter is in memory of all the patients who died waiting for their medical appointments to begin.”
Quentin Fottrell
Here’s what’s worth streaming in May 2026 on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max and more May 1, 2026
Netflix’s ‘Lord of the Flies,’ Apple’s ‘Star City’ and the return of Hulu’s ‘Deli Boys’ are among the highlights of the coming month
Mike Murphy
A major Sandisk transformation is under way, and analysts say it could send the stock even higher May 1, 2026
New long-term agreements are a sign that hyperscalers are willing to pay high prices for memory. They’ll also make Sandisk’s earnings less volatile.
Britney Nguyen
Embattled U.S. manufacturers show their mettle, grow for the fourth month in a row despite Iran war May 1, 2026
American manufacturers grew in April for the fourth month in a row — the longest streak in four years — but an embryonic recovery faces fresh hurdles from rising oil prices and higher inflation tied to the Iran war.
Jeffry Bartash
What investors should be buying and selling in May, according to Bank of America’s ‘Flow Show’ strategist May 1, 2026
A cyclical uptick in economic activity in May, presaged by a boom in semiconductors, should see a reversal in the most out-of-favor sectors.
Jules Rimmer
These 5 AI-proof jobs are hiring — here’s how much they pay and how to get them May 1, 2026
Careers that are not as vulnerable to AI right now share a few common traits: they require physical presence, specialized training, or real-time human interaction.
Genna Contino
Trump signs order to create retirement plans for workers who lack them May 1, 2026
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to create access to retirement plans for millions of workers whose employers don’t provide one.
Jessica Hall
‘I hope to retire early’: I’m 56 and have 80% in a traditional IRA and 20% in a Roth. Am I in trouble? May 1, 2026
“We have $3.5 million in savings — $2.5 million of which are in retirement accounts.”
Quentin Fottrell
How a screw-up by Social Security cost widows and widowers over $50 million May 1, 2026
Thousands have been short-changed of their Social Security payments as a result of blunders by the Social Security Administration
Brett Arends