Jobs report; Is the 'force' with consumers?; Cheap gas fueling holiday travel

Stocks (^GSPC) are being driven today by the surprising August employment report, which showed a disappointing 173,000 jobs created last month.  However, upward revisions of previous months boosted optimism that the U.S. employment picture is not that dire.  And the unemployment rate fell to 5.1%, more than expected.

Yahoo Finance Columnist Rick Newman feels this report really adds no clarity as to when the Federal Reserve will finally decide to begin raising interest rates.

"It leaves the September decision as a toss up," he argues. "This is not a definitive number that will prompt the Fed to raise rates."

However, Dominick Tavella, President and Chief Investment Officer at Diversified Private Wealth Advisors, tells Yahoo Finance one data point that might push the Fed to move is the much stronger than forecast rise in average hourly earnings, which shot up 2.2% from last year.

"Wage gain year over year was pretty impressive," he says. "That's a really strong number for them to look at."

Get the Latest Market Data and News with the Yahoo Finance App

Gap sales drop

Here are some of the stocks the Yahoo Finance team will be watching for you today.

The Gap (GPS)  The clothing retailer reports an overall 3% drop in sales during August...with sales at stores open at least a year down 2%.The company's namesake stores saw a decline of 8%...with its Banana Republic chain posting an 11% drop. However, the Old Navy brand once again was the retailer's shining star, with sales at those outlets up 6%.  The Gap says the late date for Labor Day hurt August demand.

Vince Holding (VNCE) The high-end contemporary apparel company had bad misses for both earnings and revenue in the second quarter. Sales dropped 10.4%, with a big decline in wholesale orders and return customers.  Vince is also cutting its full-year fiscal guidance.

Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores (SHOS) The spinoff of Sears Holdings that sells appliances, hardware and lawn and garden equipment says its net profit in the second quarter fell 55%...but the company says sales trends are favorable and it's taking steps to cut costs.

Alibaba (BABA) Bloomberg is reporting Chairman Jack Ma and Vice Chairman Joe Tsai are taking out a $2 billion loan and using their stock holdings in the company as collateral. Bloomberg says a company spokesperson calls it prudent financial management, saying share financing is very common for founders and senior executives who hold such a strong belief in future growth. Yahoo (YHOO), parent of Yahoo Finance, holds about 15% stake in Alibaba that it is spinning off.

"Force Friday" for Disney

Is the ‘force’ still with Disney and the consumer? The movie might be months away, but Stars Wars fans are frothing at the mouth, as Disney (DIS) is releasing the highly anticipated “Star Wars: the Force Awakens” toys over 18 hours of livestreaming on Youtube, taking place in 15 cities across 12 countries.

Another big factor for the American consumer - energy prices. And with gas so cheap, Americans are returning to the roads in droves this Labor Day weekend, with AAA saying it will be the biggest Labor Day travel weekend since 2008.

More from Yahoo Finance

Biggest drop in pay hitting America’s lowest paid workers
Netflix debuts in Japan as threats grow at home
Why Tesla wants Obama’s help in China