Morning Brief

Dow is set to open higher as banks report mixed earnings

BY THE NUMBERS

U.S. stock futures were pointing to a higher open on Wall Street this morning after Thursday’s rally sent the Nasdaq to a record closing high. The Nasdaq, Dow, and S&P 500 were all on track for a second consecutive weekly gain as earnings season begins with the banks. (CNBC)

JP Morgan shares rise after quarterly trading revenue unexpectedly increases (CNBC)
* Citigroup shares drop after earnings beat but revenue misses (CNBC)
Wells Fargo shares fall after revenue misses analyst expectations (CNBC)

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) shares were sharply lower after the health-care company was ordered to pay a record $4.7 billion to 22 women who alleged J&N’s talc-based products contained asbestos and caused cases of ovarian cancer. (CNBC)

AT&T (T) shares were under pressure after the Justice Department decided to appeal the approval of the telecom giant’s purchase of Time Warner. AT&T said it is ready to defend the original decision. (CNBC)

U.K. regulators said if Disney (DIS) is successful in buying assets from Fox, it must pay at least £14 per share for broadcaster Sky. NBCUniversal parent Comcast (CMCSA) is now offering £14.75 per Sky share.

The Friday economic calendar includes data on import and export prices for June at 8:30 a.m. ET and the mid-July reading on consumer sentiment from the University of Michigan at 10 a.m. ET. (CNBC)

IN THE NEWS TODAY

President Donald Trump meets with U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May again today after blasting her plans for Brexit and saying the direction of Britain’s talks to leave the EU could kill any trade deal with the U.S. (The Sun)

* Trump says Boris Johnson, hard Brexit supporter and ex-Foreign secretary, would "make a great” PM (CNBC)

A huge blimp depicting Trump as a baby took flight for two hours in London today, with thousands expected to protest the U.S. president’s policies. Trump said the blimp makes him feel “unwelcome.” (CNBC)

However, London Mayor Sadiq Khan told CNBC Friday Trump should understand the U.K. will always be prepared to challenge his views in a respectful way, regardless of whether his feelings get hurt.

* Trump says Queen Elizabeth II has 'a great and beautiful grace about her' (USA Today)

Harley-Davidson (HOG) has been invited to open a factory in Berlin, according to a German media outlet. Trump has repeatedly attacked Harley for plans to shift some operations overseas due to EU tariffs.

Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are sure to discuss North Korea at next week's bilateral summit as the American leader looks to tap Moscow's strategic leverage over the isolated state. (CNBC)

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said he plans to sell all of his stock holdings and buy Treasurys with the proceeds after receiving a letter from the ethics office. (CNBC)

Value retailer Five Below (FIVE) is moving into one of the most desirable yet pricey shopping districts in the America: New York's Fifth Avenue. Five Below's first location in Manhattan is set to open in November near Bryant Park. (CNBC)

The longest Amazon Prime Day yet will begin on Monday and last for 36 hours through Tuesday. For many shoppers, it’s a day to finally snag that tech product or kitchen device they've been eyeing at a discount. (CNBC)

STOCKS TO WATCH

The Iowa and Illinois health departments said they were investigating a rise in foodborne infections linked to salads at McDonald's (MCD) restaurants. State regulators said they’ve seen about 90 cases in Illinois and 15 in Iowa.

The FDA said Kellogg’s (K) recalled Honey Smacks is still being sold at some retail outlets and warned consumers not to buy it. About 1.3 million cases of the cereal were recalled in June due to the potential of salmonella contamination.

Apple (AAPL) plans to launch a $300 million clean energy fund in China. The U.S. tech leader will invest in renewable energy products that could provide power to nearly a million homes.

Twitter’s (TWTR) top users lost about 2 percent of their followers on average after the company stopped counting locked accounts in follower numbers.

Walmart (WMT) is talking to Capital One Financial (COF) about taking over its store credit card operation from Synchrony Financial (SYF), according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

Buyout firm Apollo Global (APO) and CEO Leon Black were sued by Caldera, alleging a campaign of defamation and asking for at least $1.5 billion in damages.

WATERCOOLER

Friday the 13th could certainly be someone's very lucky day, with the Mega Millions jackpot rolling over to $340 million, the 10th-highest of all-time should anybody win. The cash payout would be $204 million. (USA Today)

France are favored to win their second World Cup when they face Croatia at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday. The tiny nation of Croatia, playing in its first-ever final, is looking to pull out another surprise. (Fox Sports)