CNBC | Morning Squawk
IN THE NEWS TODAY
Whether the U.K. stays or leaves the European Union remains the focus for markets, even as Fed Chair Janet Yellen addresses senators this morning. U.S. stock futures were higher, following Monday's rally as the remain camp recovering lost ground. (CNBC)
Oil prices were lower this morning, after a strong two-day advance driven by easing concerns that Britons would vote to leave the EU trading block in Thursday's vote. U.S. crude gained nearly 3 percent Monday. (Reuters)
A Brexit would likely trigger a big sell-off in the pound, according George Soros. "A vote to leave could see the week end with a Black Friday, and serious consequences for ordinary people," the billionaire wrote in an op-ed. (The Guardian)
The U.K. currency hit its highest level against the dollar since the start of the year this morning, posting its biggest one-day rise since 2008 on Monday, as Brexit concerns eased. (Reuters)
Boeing (BA) signed a tentative agreement, valued at potentially $25 billion, to sell jetliners to Iran, in what would be one of the Islamic republic's biggest deals with a U.S. manufacturer since trade sanctions on Tehran were eased. (WSJ)
Under fire from investors, SoftBank President Nikesh Arora is stepping down , marking an abrupt end to the tenure of founder and Chief Executive Masayoshi Son's handpicked successor. Arora, a former Google executive, was recruited two years ago. (WSJ)
Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings and its partners are planning to pay more than $8 billion for more than 80-percent of Supercell Oy, the Finnish video game maker of the popular "Clash of Clans" title. SoftBank and Supercell employees are the sellers. (WSJ)
Wal-Mart (WMT) is selling its Chinese online business to that country's No. 2 e-commerce site, JD.com (JD), creating a strategic partnership the U.S. retail giant hopes will bolster its presence in the world's second-largest economy. (AP)
Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee brought in about $18.6 million in May, including another loan from the billionaire candidate. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee raised more than double that. (AP)
Clinton opened an 8-point lead over Trump in Florida, the largest of the presidential swing states, and erased a small Trump lead to create a dead heat in Ohio. Pennsylvania remained too close to call, according to the latest Quinnipiac University Swing State Poll.
In an address in Ohio today, Clinton plans to portray Trump as an erratic and unfit steward of the nation's economy, making the case workers would bear the brunt of the businessman's policies. The former secretary of state blasted trump on foreign policy earlier this month. (AP)
Michael Steven Sandford, a 19-year-old British national, arrested over the weekend trying to wrestle a gun from a police officer at a Las Vegas Trump rally told an investigator he wanted to kill the candidate, according to court papers. (Reuters)
The unexpected firing of Trump's campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, triggered the resignation of New York campaign director Michael Caputo. Caputo stepped down after tweeting "Ding dong the witch is dead," in reference to Lewandowski's dismissal. (CNBC)
Four gun policy measures failed to pass the 60-vote threshold to move forward in the Senate last night, following impassioned debate from both sides of the political aisle, in the wake of the June 12 Orlando gay nightclub massacre. (NBC News)
The U.S. is on track to spend $2.6 trillion less on health care over a five-year period than was originally projected after the passage of Obamacare, according to a new Urban Institute study. (CNBC)
The Obama administration is on the verge of approving routine commercial use of small drones, after years of struggling to write rules to protect the public and free the benefits of a new technology. The FAA is expected to announce the rules as early as today. (AP)
The public pension fund for Boston municipal employees filed a bondholders proposed class action lawsuit against Volkswagen. The Boston Retirement System claims "artificially inflated" bonds declined after the automaker's diesel emissions scandal was revealed. (Reuters)
BY THE NUMBERS
Fed Chair Janet Yellen delivers the first part of her semiannual testimony on the economy and monetary policy before the Senate Banking Committee at 10 a.m. ET. Yellen concludes her testimony before the House Financial Services Committee tomorrow.
Earnings after this afternoon's closing bell on Wall Street include FedEx (FDX), Adobe Systems (ADBE), and KB Home (KBH).
Homebuilder Lennar (LEN) this morning reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue. Lennar stock has dropped 4.6 percent so far this year, compared to the S&P 500's nearly 2 percent advance.
STOCKS TO WATCH
Facebook (FB) chief Mark Zuckerberg has decided to keep on the social network's board Peter Thiel, the Silicon Valley billionaire who recently succeeded in his efforts to bankrupt Gawker in the wake of the $140 million judgment in the Hulk Hogan case. (Recode)
Billionaire investor Bill Ackman is stepping up his campaign against Herbalife (HLF), releasing a video that the hedge fund manager said illustrated predatory recruiting practices. Ackman has shorted the nutritional supplement firm. (Reuters)
The Williams Companies (WMB) is asking a judge to force Energy Transfer Equity (ETE) to complete their $20 billion merger. The two sides are sparring over a tax dispute that could sink the deal.
Netflix (NFLX) said service issues that apparently caused a major outage have been resolved. Reports of problems on the U.S. East Coast surged Monday afternoon.
McKesson (MCK) has held talks to merge its IT unit with health care technology firm Change Healthcare, according to Reuters. A deal would create a company worth more than $10 billion.
Chipmaker Marvell Technology (MRVL) named a new CEO. The company's co-founders stepped down a couple months ago, after an investigation raised questions about management's operating style.
Caterpillar (CAT) said its global retail sales declined 12 percent for the three months ended in May. The heavy equipment giant cites a long global slowdown in the construction and mining sectors.
