Weak Jobs Data Seen as Potential Catalyst to Push Stocks Higher

As Wall Street awaits a potentially consequential US employment report, some investors are counting on bad news for the economy turning into good news for stocks.

With the job market in the midst of what some economists have dubbed a “low-hire, low-fire” environment, expectations for January’s employment data are low: In addition to anemic job creation, economists are bracing for revisions in Wednesday’s report that could indicate an even sharper slowdown in hiring than previously thought.