5 things to know before the stock market opens Monday

• The S&P 500 hit a record on Friday, and potential rate cuts may be critical for its path ahead.
• Earnings this week will include major airlines, Netflix and Tesla.
• Ron DeSantis dropped out of the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

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

The S&P 500 closed at a record high on Friday. Now Wall Street will find out if the good times can last. The Federal Reserve has so far managed to curb inflation without tipping the U.S. economy into a recession, fueling stocks as investors bet the central bank will start to cut interest rates later this year. But equities may need a delicate mix of conditions to notch fresh records: slower price increases, combined with a solid — but not roaring — economy. The Fed will get two key data points about the economy this week, as the preliminary read on fourth-quarter GDP is due Thursday, and the personal consumption expenditures price index is set for Friday. Follow live market updates here.

Corporate earnings reports this week will also shape the stock market and give a glimpse into the health of multiple key sectors. United kicks off a packed week for airlines on Monday. Investors will have a close eye on Alaska Airlines, as they look for updates on the fallout from a panel blowing out of a Boeing 737 Max 9 plane during one of the carrier's flights earlier this month. Tesla will release results this week, as will two key media companies: Netflix and Comcast. Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson and Intel are among the consumer goods, health care and technology companies set to report. Here are the key results to watch:

• Monday: United Airlines (after the bell)
• Tuesday: Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble,