BY THE NUMBERS

September is historically the worst month of the year for stocks, and futures were mixed this morning on the month's first trading day. The Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq did post September gains last year for the first time in four years. (CNBC)



* Stocks clinch best August performance in over 4 years despite trade turmoil (CNBC) Major automakers — with the exception of General Motors (GM) — will report their August sales figures this morning. Analysts surveyed by Edmunds.com expect a 1.2 percent increase in sales compared to a year ago. (CNBC) Tesla (TSLA) was under pressure in the premarket this morning. Goldman Sachs resumed coverage on the stock with a sell rating. Goldman had removed its rating and price target after saying it was advising Tesla on CEO Elon Musk's go-private proposal, which has since been abandoned. (CNBC) There are no major earnings reports out this morning. Restoration Hardware parent RH (RH) and human resources software company Workday (WDAY) are out with quarterly numbers after today's closing bell. (CNBC)

IN THE NEWS TODAY

STOCKS TO WATCH

Verizon (VZ) was downgraded to "equal-weight" from "overweight" at Barclays, which likes the company's prospects but feels its current valuation puts a cap on the stock's potential upside moves. Dollar Tree (DLTR) was downgraded to "outperform" from "top pick" at RBC Capital Markets, which cited a variety of issues at the discount retailer's Family Dollar unit. WPP (WPP) said profitability would decline this year, in the first earnings presented by new Chief Executive Officer Mark Read. However, Read, who was named CEO on Monday, also said the ad agency had seen revenue growth for the first time in a year. Sanofi (SNY) received European Union approval for its treatment for a rare blood-clotting disorder. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to do the same early next year. Las Vegas Sands (LVS) and Wynn Resorts (WYNN) are on watch following the release of August gaming figures from Macau, which showed gambling revenue up 17 percent in the Chinese territory compared to a year earlier. That marks the 25th straight month of gains. Roku (ROKU) was rated "buy" in new coverage at Guggenheim, which calls the maker of video streaming devices a key player in the disruption of the domestic television business.

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