Stocks to rise | Apple jumps nearly 6% | Private job growth surges

U.S. stock futures were higher this morning. That follows a mixed session Tuesday, which saw a second consecutive drop for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq but a higher Dow. The Dow has now alternated between gains and losses for seven trading days. (CNBC)

Apple (AAPL) was up nearly 6 percent in premarket after it beat on earnings. iPhone sales slowed once again, but CEO Tim Cook made upbeat comments about Apple's services business and said he sees some hope that US-China trade tensions have eased. (CNBC)

* Apple booked $13 billion in revenue from China last quarter (CNBC)
* Apple now has $245 billion cash on hand, up 3% from previous quarter (CNBC)
* Cramer on Apple earnings: The haters have 'no more new ammunition' (CNBC)
* 'Bad news is over' — here's what every major analyst says about Apple's earnings (CNBC)

Dow components Boeing (BA) and McDonald's (MCD) are out with quarterly earnings this morning. The after-the-bell earnings spotlight focuses on Dow components Microsoft (MSFT) and Visa (V) as well as Facebook (FB) and Tesla (TSLA). (CNBC)

* Boeing shares surge after monster earnings beat and a record $101 billion in annual revenue (CNBC)
* McDonald's beats on earnings, but misses on US same-store sales (CNBC)

Today's marquee event, however, happens at 2 p.m. ET when the Federal Reserve releases its latest interest rate decision and policy statement at the conclusion of its two-day meeting. The central bank is not expected to raise rates this time around. (CNBC)

Private payrolls grew at a much faster pace than expected in January as the labor market shrugged off the longest U.S. government shutdown in history, according to data from ADP and Moody's Analytics. Meanwhile, the National Association of Realtors is out with December pending home sales at 10 a.m. ET. (CNBC)

* Drop in mortgage applications proves just how rate-sensitive today's borrowers are (CNBC)

President Donald Trump faces pressure to make a trade deal as the U.S. and China resume high-level talks today. However, Trump sees himself with the upper hand given China's lagging economic growth. (WSJ)

Democratic megadonor and Israeli-American media titan Haim Saban is the latest big money party supporter who believes that Howard Schultz, if he runs as an independent in 2020, will help Trump win a second term. (CNBC)

Trump's longtime friend and advisor Roger Stone pleaded not guilty to criminal charges related to his alleged attempt to hide his efforts to have WikiLeaks release information stolen from Democrats by Russian agents. (CNBC)

Two doctors in Louisiana are asking the Supreme Court to grant an emergency stay of a law they say could cripple access to abortions in the state. TheGcase could prove to be a test of Trump's two nominees to the high court. (CNBC)

Extreme arctic cold is now plunging into the Midwest. It's creating dangerously cold wind chills and likely dropping temperatures in some cities to their lowest levels in more than two decades. (The Weather Channel)

* Too cold for US mail delivery in 7 states (USA Today)
* Airlines cancel hundreds of flights as 'dangerous' cold blasts US (CNBC)
* Yes, Chicago will be colder than Antarctica, Alaska and the North Pole on Wednesday (USA Today)

CVS Health (CVS) is running a pilot with SmileDirectClub to fit people for the start-up's invisible braces in CVS' drugstores. Walgreens (WBA) opened an Aspen Dental office in one of its Florida stores, with plans to open another this year. (CNBC)

Tesla (TSLA) began selling lower-priced versions of its Model S and Model X electric vehicles equipped with 100 kwh battery packs, meaning that all versions of those cars will come with the same battery. (CNBC)

Since 2016, Facebook (FB) has been paying teenagers and adults up to $20 a month plus referral fees to install the so-called "Facebook Research" app on their Apple or Android phones, according to tech news site TechCrunch.

Amgen (AMGN) came in 15 cents above estimates with adjusted quarterly profit of $3.42 per share, while the biotech company's revenue also beat Wall Street forecasts. However, Amgen gave weaker-than-expected 2019 guidance as competition for its older drugs increases.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) matched analyst forecasts with adjusted quarterly profit of eight cents per share, while revenue was essentially in line with estimates as well. However, the chipmaker did give a current quarter revenue forecast below Street estimates, hurt by excess inventory and weaker graphics chip sales.

eBay (EBAY) beat consensus forecasts by three cents with adjusted quarterly profit of 71 cents per share, with the online marketplace reporting revenue in line with estimates. EBay also announced it would pay its first-ever dividend, setting its quarterly payout at 14 cents per share, and is increasing its share buyback program by $4 billion.

Mellanox Technologies (MLNX) is the target of an up to $6 billion cash-and-stock buyout offer from Intel (INTC), according to Israeli media. Israel-based Mellanox makes chips used in cloud computing applications.

Vale (VALE) CEO Fabio Schvartsman said the world's largest iron ore miner would take up to 10 percent of its production offline, and decommission 10 dams that are similar to the one involved in last week's disaster that left hundreds presumed dead.

Tesla (TSLA) will put the same battery pack in all versions of its Model S and Model X sedans, in an effort to streamline production. It will manage vehicle range and other features through over-the-air software updates.

Stryker (SYK) reported adjusted fourth quarter profit of $2.18 per share, three cents above estimates, while the medical device maker's revenue also topped Wall Street forecasts. The company also gave a full-year earnings forecast that falls largely above analyst estimates.

Pop band Maroon 5 is joining in a donation to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America ahead of their Super Bowl halftime show. The band, in conjunction with the NFL and Interscope Records, has decided to make a $500,000 contribution. (USA Today)