CNBC | Morning Squawk
IN THE NEWS TODAY
U.S. stock futures were under pressure this morning. Wall Street closed sharply higher Wednesday, apparently taking as a vote of economic confidence the Fed's message keeping a December interest rate hike alive. (CNBC)
Ahead of today's trading, the Dow was within 44 points of getting back to breakeven for the year. But before the market opens, a host of companies report earnings and the government issues its first estimate of third quarter GDP. (CNBC)
U.S. oil prices were lower this morning, after surging 6.3 percent Wednesday on a government stockpiles report showing a rise within expectations and a drop in gasoline and distillate inventories. (Reuters)
In a change from previous debates, the candidates really got into the details of economic plans and entitlement programs, but exchanges grew contentious and political friendships were strained. (NY Times)
Emerging over Donald Trump as the front-runner in new national and Iowa polls, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson said in the debate the U.S. would be better off replacing Medicare with individual savings accounts. (CNBC)
Trump, who's made combating illegal immigration a centerpiece of his outsider campaign, said in the debate that people can come to the U.S., but only if they do so legally. (CNBC)
The full House votes today on whether to make Rep. Paul Ryan, the 2012 vice-presidential nominee, the next speaker. He was nominated Wednesday by the GOP conference. (USA Today)
Pfizer (PFE) approached Botox-maker Allergan (AGN) to discuss what could be the biggest takeover deal this year. The healthcare sector has recently seen an unprecedented wave of deals. (WSJ)\
Deutsche Bank (DB) plans to cut 15,000 jobs and shed assets that employ some 20,000 other workers, as the new CEO starts to implement a deep overhaul. (Reuters)
Struggling since the financial crisis, Deutsche Bank is expected to announce soon that it will pay at least $200 million to resolve investigations into dealings with blacklisted countries. (NY Times)
London-based Barclays (BCS) today reported slightly worse-than-expected earnings, warned of a weaker end to 2015 , and said structural changes will be more expensive than previously expected. (CNBC)
Theranos authorized new shares at a valuation of more than $10 billion, just days before the Wall Street Journal raised questions about the lab startup. Meanwhile, the firm reduced the size of its board of directors. (WSJ & NY Times)
BY THE NUMBERS
In addition to the third quarter GDP number, the government also reports weekly jobless claims at 8:30 a.m. ET. Then at 10 a.m. ET, the National Association of Realtors is out with its September pending home sales report. And at 10:30 a.m. ET, the Energy Department releases its weekly look at natural gas inventories.
Earnings reports out this morning include numbers from Aetna (AET), MasterCard (MA), Charter Communications (CHTR), and Time Warner Cable (TWC). This afternoon, Starbucks (SBUX), LinkedIn (LNKD), and Electronic Arts (EA) lead the after-the-bell list.
Sony (SNE) today reported a fiscal second quarter profit, compared to a year earlier loss, thanks to healthy sales of its PlayStation 4 videogame consoles and its image sensors.
STOCKS TO WATCH
GoPro (GPRO) plunged in premarket trading, after missing by wide margins on earnings and revenue, as the action camera-maker saw lower than expected sales of its new wearable lines.
PayPal (PYPL), now separate from eBay (EBAY), was under pressure in the premarket, after revenue and full-year outlook matched forecasts. Earnings were above estimates, but perhaps didn't grow as much as expected.
Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) shares were lower in premarket trading, after earnings came in well below estimates. Revenue and forward guidance were also light.
Yelp (YELP) was higher in the premarket, as revenue beat forecasts. The online review site issued a wider-than-expected loss. Sales and marketing costs were higher in an effort to increase site traffic.