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5 Things to Know Before the Stock Market Opens Friday

Brendan McDermid | Reuters

Here are the most important news, trends and analysis that investors need to start their trading day:

1. Dow futures drop as history signals a rough rest of September

U.S. stock futures fell Friday, marking a key date, Sept. 17, that has historically ushered in a rough patch for the market in an already traditionally tough month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined Thursday, though it ended way above session lows. The S&P 500 dipped as well, while the Nasdaq bucked the trend and rose slightly. Despite the September angst, all three benchmarks were tracking for weekly gains. Ahead of Friday's open, the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq weren't too far from their recent record closes — about 2.5%, 1.4%, and 1.3% away respectively.

2. Options, futures expirations could add volatility at Friday's close

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, on Monday, Aug. 23, 2021.
Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, on Monday, Aug. 23, 2021.

Coinciding with seasonal factors stacked against Wall Street, it's also "quadruple witching" Friday, the simultaneous expiration of stock options, index options, stock futures and index futures. The Federal Reserve holds its two-day September policy meeting next week, leaving investors already on edge this month to read the tea leaves on when central bankers might start tapering their massive Covid-era bond buying. As of Thursday's close, the Dow was down 1.7% this month, while the S&P 500 was off 1.1% and the Nasdaq was down 0.5%. However, all three were still way up for the year.

3. Fed chief calls for a review of the central bank's investment rules

Jerome Powell, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, arrives for a Senate Banking Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, July 15, 2021.
Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Jerome Powell, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, arrives for a Senate Banking Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, July 15, 2021.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has called for a review of the central bank's ethics rules for appropriate financial activities after disclosures that several senior Fed officials held significant investments and others made multimillion-dollar stock trades in 2020. Last year was when monetary policymakers were implementing extraordinary measures to support the crumbling economy during the pandemic. News of the Powell inquiry followed letters sent by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to the Fed's regional bank presidents demanding stricter ethics.

4. FDA vaccine advisory panel to meet on Pfizer Covid boosters

Nurse Samantha Reidy gives Alan Kramer, 74, a cancer patient, his Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 booster shot at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut on August 24, 2021.
Joseph Prezioso | AFP | Getty Images
Nurse Samantha Reidy gives Alan Kramer, 74, a cancer patient, his Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 booster shot at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut on August 24, 2021.

A key part of President Joe Biden's plan to combat Covid could be in jeopardy as an FDA vaccine advisory committee meets Friday to debate and vote on Pfizer's application to offer vaccine booster shots to the general public. The meeting comes as some scientists, including at least two at the FDA, said they aren't entirely convinced that every American who has received the two-dose Pfizer vaccine needs a third at this time. Friday's vote could halt the Biden administration's already announced plan to start distributing boosters next week.

5. Biden to hold climate meeting in advance of U.N. summit

US President Joe Biden delivers remarks and participates in the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate Session 5: The Economic Opportunities of Climate Action from the White House in Washington, DC, on April 23, 2021.
Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images
US President Joe Biden delivers remarks and participates in the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate Session 5: The Economic Opportunities of Climate Action from the White House in Washington, DC, on April 23, 2021.

Biden convenes world leaders Friday for a discussion about efforts to tackle climate change, seeking to build momentum ahead of an international summit on global warming later this year. Biden has been repeatedly emphasizing climate change, a top domestic and global priority, in recent weeks following devastating floods and wildfires in the U.S. Biden is trying to make the Oct. 31-Nov. 12 U.N. climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, a success.

— Reuters contributed to this report. Follow all the market action like a pro on CNBC Pro. Get the latest on the pandemic with CNBC's coronavirus coverage.

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