BY THE NUMBERS
Futures were lower this morning as investors gear up for the beginning of a two-day Fed meeting. Monday's losses were the first in four sessions for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, with the Dow posting its third loss in five trading days. (CNBC)
* Cramer: A key market sector is signaling that the Fed should stay on hold (CNBC)
PG&E (PCG) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, as it deals with potential liabilities from wildfires in California. The utility has filed a motion seeking court approval for $5.5 billion in debtor-in-possession financing. (Reuters)
Earnings season ramps up this morning with releases from Dow components 3M (MMM), Pfizer (PFE), and Verizon (VZ), as well as many other companies. Apple (AAPL) will grab the after-the-bell earnings spotlight today. (CNBC)
The housing sector will be in focus today with the release of the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index for November at 9 a.m. ET. At 10 a.m. ET, the Conference Board's January Consumer Confidence Index is expected. (CNBC)
IN THE NEWS TODAY
Former Starbucks (SBUX) chief Howard Schultz, who is considering a White House run as an independent, told CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin that he won't do "anything to put Donald Trump back in the Oval Office."
* Schultz hires ex-Obama advisor as he mulls presidential run (CNBC)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi invited President Donald Trump to give the State of the Union address on Feb. 5. The partial government shutdown fight between Trump and Democrats previously delayed the president's speech. (CNBC)
Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said during a news conference that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation is "close to being completed." He said he has now been "fully briefed" on the investigation. (CNBC)
Trump's former personal lawyer and longtime fixer Michael Cohen has hired two new criminal defense lawyers, and dropped his old ones, as he prepares for testimony at a Senate committee next month. (CNBC)
* Judge abruptly cancels Paul Manafort's sentencing in Virginia case (CNBC)
The Trump administration unveiled charges against China's telecom giant Huawei. The accusations include the company violating U.S. sanctions on Iran and of stealing trade secrets from a U.S. business partner. (WSJ)
* China says US indictment against Huawei is 'unfair' and 'immoral' (CNBC)
Russia and China strongly criticized U.S. sanctions placed on Venezuela, with the former pledging to support the beleaguered President Nicolas Maduro. Russia said it completely undermined confidence in the financial system. (CNBC)
A snowstorm that hit parts of the Midwest yesterday will give way to record-smashing cold this week as a polar vortex drives a deep freeze across the eastern half of the U.S. (USA Today)
A bug in Apple's (AAPL) FaceTime lets you listen in to the audio if you try to call someone, even if they don't pick up. CNBC tested it and verified that it is a real bug. Apple said a fix is coming this week.
* How to disable FaceTime so people can't spy on you by exploiting a bug (CNBC)
STOCKS TO WATCH
Whirlpool (WHR) reported adjusted quarterly profit of $4.75 per share, beating the consensus estimate of $4.23. The appliance maker's revenue did fall below Street forecasts, and Whirlpool posted its first annual loss in more than 10 years but expects to return to profitability this year.
Wynn Resorts (WYNN) executives ignored sexual misconduct complaints against former CEO Steve Wynn, according to a newly released report from the Nevada Gaming Control Board. The report was accompanied by a proposed settlement, in which Wynn agreed to pay an undetermined fine. The casino operator agreed that the report largely matches its own findings.
AK Steel (AKS) beat estimates by five cents with adjusted quarterly profit of 16 cents per share, with the steelmaker's revenue essentially in line with forecasts. Stronger sales helped offset the effect of higher expenses.
SAP (SAP) said it would implement a restructuring, following a year in which the business software maker missed its own sales and earnings targets. SAP will take a charge of up to roughly $1 billion for the restructuring, most of it during the first quarter.
Intel (INTC) will invest about $11 billion in a new Israeli semiconductor plant, according to the country's finance minister.
AT&T (T) plans to cut jobs in some of its weaker business units while hiring more workers in faster-growing areas, according to a Reuters report quoting a company spokesman.
Square (SQ) was downgraded to "underperform" from "market perform" by Raymond James, which thinks the mobile payments technology provider saw organic growth peak during its third quarter and that key metrics will show material deceleration this year.
MasterCard (MA) and Visa (V) were both rated "outperform" in new coverage at Jefferies, with both payment networks benefitting from secular industry growth.
BlackRock (BLK) was upgraded to "buy" from "hold" at Jefferies, which said the asset management giant will benefit from favorable changes in investor behavior despite a volatile market backdrop.
WATERCOOLER
Disney (DIS) has set a one-week engagement for Marvel's blockbuster hit "Black Panther" to return to theaters to celebrate Black History Month. It'll be during Feb. 1-7 at 250 participating AMC locations. (Variety)
WATCH: Why you shouldn't panic when stocks are getting slammed
