5 things to know before the stock market opens Thursday, April 25 [Video]

Here are the most important news items that investors need to start their trading day:

1. Futures flop

After a lackluster trading day Wednesday, stock futures were lower Thursday morning, led down by tech. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped 300 points, while S&P 500 futures fell 0.7%, and Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 1%. Meta sank about 15% (more on that below) while IBM dropped 9% in early trading after missing consensus estimates for its first-quarter revenue. The drop also came after first-quarter GDP increased at a 1.6% rate in the first quarter, less than expected. Follow live market updates.

2. Meta rout

3. Commercial success

Ford Motor topped first-quarter earningsestimates as sales of trucks and other commercial vehicles offset losses in the company’s electric vehicle unit. The automaker also maintained its 2024 earnings guidance. Ford’s overall revenue for the quarter increased about 3% year over year to $42.78 billion. The company’s traditional business, which it …