BY THE NUMBERS
U.S. stock futures were modestly higher this morning ahead of the final two trading days of March. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq have fallen in three of the past four sessions, although both are still higher for the month, while the Dow still has a 1.1 percent March deficit to make up. (CNBC)
Boeing (BA) shares remain on watch after the company previewed its software fix, cockpit alerts and additional pilot training for its 737 Max planes. Boeing said the changes improve the safety of the aircraft which has been involved in two deadly crashes since October. (CNBC)
* DOT's watchdog says FAA to improve air safety oversight procedures by this summer (CNBC)
The Labor Department is out with its weekly look at initial jobless claims at 8:30 a.m. ET. At the same time, the Commerce Department is out with its final reading of fourth-quarter GDP. The National Association of Realtors will issue its February pending home sales report at 10 a.m. ET. (CNBC)
Consulting firm Accenture (ACN) and watch maker Movado Group (MOV) will issue their quarterly earnings this morning, while Progress Software (PRGS) and Restoration Hardware parent RH (RH) will be out with quarterly numbers after today's closing bell. (CNBC)
IN THE NEWS TODAY
China has made unprecedented proposals in talks with the U.S. on a range of issues including forced technology transfer as the two sides work to overcome remaining obstacles to a trade deal, Reuters said, citing a U.S. official.
* Trump met with Google CEO Sundar Pichai to discuss 'political fairness' and China (CNBC)
President Donald Trump said in a Fox News interview that he intends to release classified documents the FBI used to launch a probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
* House Oversight Committee requests 10 years' worth of Trump's financial records (CNBC)
* Mueller's grand jury is still working 'robustly' even after special counsel submitted final report (CNBC)
Joe Biden wants to declare whether he will run for president as late as Easter week, people familiar with the matter told CNBC. Biden plans to meet with top advisors next week to discuss how he would roll out a 2020 campaign.
The U.K. government warned today that Huawei's telecommunications equipment raises "significant" security issues, posing a possible setback to the Chinese tech firm as it looks to build out 5G networks. (CNBC)
Trump's presumptive nominee for the Federal Reserve, Stephen Moore, owes more than $75,000 in unpaid federal income taxes and related penalties, court records reveal. (CNBC)
Walgreens (WBA) will sell CBD creams, patches and sprays in nearly 1,500 stores in select states. Rival drugstore chain CVS (CVS) introduced CBD-containing topicals, including creams and salves. (CNBC)
Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk sent his second email to employees in a month to clear up confusion around its store closures, according to a copy of the memo viewed by CNBC. The email says stores with high foot traffic and sales will remain open.
Lyft is expected to price its shares today and go public Friday on the Nasdaq under the ticker LYFT. The company increased its expected IPO share price range to between $70 and $72 per share in a new filing. (CNBC)
STOCKS TO WATCH
Lululemon (LULU) reported adjusted quarterly profit of $1.85 per share, beating forecasts by nine cents, while revenue was above Wall Street forecasts as well. The yoga wear maker also issued better than expected guidance for the full year, and announced a $500 million stock buyback.
PVH (PVH) beat estimates by eight cents with quarterly profit of $1.84 per share, while the apparel maker's revenue also beat analyst projections. PVH's results were helped by a strong performance for its Tommy Hilfiger brand, and it also issued an upbeat outlook for the full year.
Five Below (FIVE) came in a penny ahead of estimates with quarterly earnings of $1.59 per share, with the discount retailer's revenue also registering a beat. Five Below did, however, issue a 2019 earnings outlook of $3.00 to $3.07 per share, below the consensus estimate of $3.13. Five Below was also added to the "Conviction Buy" list at Goldman Sachs, with a price target of $147.
Office Depot (ODP) and software supplier Support.com will pay a total of $35 million to settle FTC charges that consumers were tricked into buying computer repair services. The FTC said the two allegedly deceived consumers with misleading malware claims.
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) was cleared of liability in a New Jersey case involving claims that asbestos in J&J's talc products had caused the plaintiff's mesothelioma. J&J is currently facing about 13,000 talc-related lawsuits, and also announced settlements in three other cases Wednesday.
Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess told reporters he is not interesting in buying or partnering with Fiat Chrysler (FCAU). That comes a day after reports said Renault planned to pursue Fiat Chrysler if it can restart and successfully conclude merger talks with longtime partner Nissan.
Blackstone (BX) has reportedly dropped out of the auction to buy Nielsen Holdings (NLSN), the company best known for ITS TV ratings.
Verint Systems (VRNT) reported adjusted quarterly profit of $1.08 per share, beating consensus estimates by seven cents, although the maker of software for call centers and intelligence agencies did see revenue fall below Street forecasts. Verint's bottom line was helped by an increasing number of customers moving to cloud-based applications.
WATERCOOLER
A ticket sold in Wisconsin won Powerball's $768.4 million jackpot, the third-largest lottery prize in U.S. history. The lucky numbers for the jackpot were 16, 20, 37, 44, 62 and Powerball 12. (USA Today)