BY THE NUMBERS
U.S. stock futures were modestly higher this morning after small losses for the Dow and S&P 500 Wednesday ended three and four-day win streaks, respectively. The Nasdaq inched higher to give it a seventh consecutive daily gain. (CNBC)
* Alphabet, Apple and two other stocks to buy as the S&P nears records (CNBC)
Earnings due for release this morning include Priceline parent Booking Holdings (BKNG), Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) and Viacom (VIAB). News Corp. (NWSA) leads today's list of after-the-bell earnings reports. (CNBC)
After a very light stretch for economic numbers, investors will get several reports of note today with both initial jobless claims and the July Producer Price Index set for release at 8:30 a.m. ET. At 10 a.m. ET, wholesale inventories for June are expected. (CNBC)
Rite Aid (RAD) and Albertsons terminated their merger agreement amid shareholder opposition to the $24 billion deal. ISS had recommended Rite Aid shareholders vote against the merger, saying it wouldn't give a fair ownership stake in the combination. (CNBC)
IN THE NEWS TODAY
President Donald Trump's administration will punish Russia with sanctions for allegedly poisoning an ex-spy living in Britain with a chemical weapon. A spokeswoman said the sanctions will go into effect later this month. (CNBC)
China's threats of new tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. imports will create shifts in the energy market, as American liquefied natural gas makes the list of goods Beijing will target, according to several analysts. (CNBC)
Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani called on special counsel Robert Mueller to conclude his probe "without further delay" shortly after responding to Mueller's latest proposal to have his investigators interview the president. (CNBC)
Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y. pleaded not guilty to federal insider trading charges, according to NBC News. He was arrested on charges that he shared non-public info related to Innate Immunotherapeutics, on which Collins served as a board member.
* Paul Ryan boots Collins from House panel (CNBC)
A magnitude 6.2 aftershock rocked Indonesia's Lombok today. It sparked fresh panic on the tropical tourist island after a series of tremors that have killed more than 150 people in the past two weeks. (Reuters)
Twitter (TWTR) chief Jack Dorsey will be making more stops on his media tour amid the Alex Jones controversy, Axios has learned. He is reportedly planning to speak with NBC's Lester Holt and CNN's Brian Stelte.
Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk's tweets about securing funding to take the company private will likely prompt an investigation by federal securities regulators. WSJ reported that the SEC has already "made inquiries."
* Elon Musk's flawed plan for Tesla shareholders (WSJ)
New York City passed regulations that will cap the number of ride-hailing vehicles, such as Uber or Lyft, on the road for one year, and impose a minimum wage for drivers. Some are worried that prices and wait times will increase. (CNBC)
STOCKS TO WATCH
21st Century Fox (FOXA) reported adjusted quarterly profit of 57 cents per share, three cents above estimates, with revenue also topping forecasts. Fox's results were helped by higher cable distribution fees plus the success of "Deadpool 2" at the movie box office.
Roku (ROKU) reported a break-even quarter, better than the 15 cents per share loss that analysts had been anticipating. The maker of video-streaming devices also saw revenue and the number of active accounts beat Street forecasts, and its current quarter revenue guidance is largely above estimates.
e.l.f. Beauty (ELF) beat estimates by seven cents with adjusted quarterly profit of 13 cents per share, with the cosmetics retailer's revenue matching forecasts. However, the company did cut its overall revenue forecast for 2018.
Yelp (YELP) reported quarterly profit of 12 cents per share, topping the consensus estimate of one cent. The online review service's revenue beat Street forecasts as well, as did the number of paying advertiser accounts.
Jack In The Box (JACK) beat estimates by 12 cents with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.00 per share, with the restaurant chain's revenue also beating Street forecasts. Comparable restaurant sales were up 0.5 percent, in line with analyst estimates, the first time in six quarters that the company registered a same-store sales increase.
Perrigo (PRGO) reported adjusted quarterly profit of $1.22 per share, three cents above estimates. However, the drug-maker saw revenue come in below forecasts, and also cut its full-year outlook on weakness in its prescription business. Perrigo's board also approved a plan to sell or spin off the prescription unit.
WATERCOOLER
Fast food chain McDonald's (MCD) is running a sweepstakes for a "McGold card," which could grant the holder free McDonald's for life. The company posted about the mysterious way to win the sweepstakes in a tweet. (E! News)