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U.S. stock futures are pointing to little change at the Wall Street open, a day after the Dow and S&P 500 both set record closing highs even in the wake of new doubts about a U.S.-China trade deal.

Will things get even worse for China?

The engines of China’s growth continue to sputter, according to the nation’s latest economic figures, Bloomberg News reports.

• China’s industrial output rose 4.7 percent from a year earlier, below an estimate of 5.4 percent.

• Retail sales grew by 7.2 percent, compared with a forecast of a 7.8 percent increase.

• And fixed-asset investment grew by 5.2 percent in the first 10 months — the lowest rate since 1998.

“The disappointing numbers show China off to a rough start in the final three months of 2019,” Reuters writes, “and will bolster calls for Beijing to roll out fresh support after third quarter growth slowed to its weakest in almost three decades, with factory production bruised by the trade war with Washington.”And things could still get worse if President Trump’s threat to introduce 15 percent tariffs on a further $156 billion worth of Chinese-made goods were to go ahead on Dec. 15. There are hopes that the extra tariffs could be averted by a so-called Phase 1 trade deal with China, but Mr. Trump affirmed this week that they could yet be deployed if China does not accede to his trade terms.What happens now? “We’re in sort of a dangerous moment because both sides feel they have the upper hand,” William Reinsch, a former senior U.S. Commerce official, told Reuters. “But I don’t think the talks have collapsed.”

WeWork’s losses surged ahead of its failed I.P.O.

WeWork’s rapid expansion caused the company’s losses to more than double in the third quarter, which helps explain why its planned I.P.O. imploded so suddenly, writes Peter Eavis in the NYT.The company reported a loss of $1.25 billion in the three months that ended in September. That was up from $497 million in the same period a year earlier, according to a company presentation, which was obtained by the NYT. Revenue increased about 94 percent, to $934 million.“They knew the bulk of this and kept the public in the dark,” said Vicki Bryan, C.E.O. of Bond Angle, a research firm.WeWork’s appetite for growth cost it hundreds of millions of dollars. At the end of September, the company had $2 billion in cash, the presentation said, down from $3 billion in total cash at the end of June. That implies that it burned through $1 billion of cash in three months, Mr. Eavis writes.Other details from the presentation:

• WeWork had enough members in September to fill the equivalent of 79 percent of available desks at the company’s locations, down from 84 percent a year earlier.

• At the end of September, WeWork had 625 locations, an 87 percent increase from a year earlier. It is now in 127 cities, up from 83.

Google wades into banking

The search giant is teaming up with two banks, Citigroup and the Stanford Federal Credit Union, to begin offering a “smart checking” account next year, Stacy Cowley and Tara Siegel Bernard of the NYT report.

• Google says it will help bank customers “benefit from useful insights and budgeting tools.”

• It isn’t seeking a banking charter: For instance, the Stanford Federal Credit Union will offer co-branded accounts, with Google developing the user interface and the credit union still handling all the banking functions.

• The exact features offered by its smart checking account are so far unconfirmed.

Google isn’t the only tech company interested in banking and payments. Apple is championing its own credit card in partnerships with Goldman Sachs, while Facebook unveiled a new digital payment system this week and is trying to revolutionize the world of global finance with its own cryptocurrency project. They are all attracted by the prospect of a new revenue stream, as their business models, based on areas like data collection and smartphone sales, begin to look less robust.What’s less clear is whether customers want their banking provided by Big Tech. “For a new product or service to succeed, it has to offer something new and shiny enough to motivate consumers to leave their existing provider,” Ms. Cowley and Ms. Siegel Bernard write. And fears about financial data privacy are probably a concern for consumers, too.

Stocks to Watch

American Outdoor Brands (AOBC) will separate its Smith & Wesson firearms unit into a new public company. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2020.Peloton Interactive (PTON) is planning to introduce a cheaper treadmill and rowing machine next year, according to a Bloomberg report. Peloton is also said to be thinking about apps for Amazon's Fire TV and the Apple Watch.Kraft Heinz (KHC) was downgraded to "sell" from "neutral" by Goldman Sachs in a valuation call. The food producer's stock is up more than 20% over the past month, but is still down more than 23% for the year.