BY THE NUMBERS
Investors appear cautious ahead of the final seven trading days of April, with futures pointing to a lower open this morning after the S&P 500 logged its first weekly decline in four weeks. However, the Dow gained ground in last week's holiday-shortened trading. (CNBC)
Meanwhile, the Dow was just 1% below its October record close. The S&P 500 was 0.9% shy of its September record close. The Nasdaq was 1.4% short of its August record close. But the Nasdaq 100 finished at an all-time high Thursday. (CNBC)
U.S. oil was spiking higher this morning, but not enough to exit correction territory, on reports that Washington plans to end sanctions waivers for Iranian crude. In November, the U.S. reimposed sanctions after President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear accord. (CNBC)
On the economic calendar, the National Association of Realtors issues March existing home sales at 10 a.m. ET. Among the companies out with earnings this morning are Halliburton (HAL), Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and WW Grainger (GWW). Whirlpool (WHR) releases numbers after the closing bell. (CNBC)
IN THE NEWS TODAY
Authorities lifted a curfew in Sri Lanka today, a day after a string of bombings at churches and luxury hotels across the Indian Ocean island killed 290 people and wounded about 500. Americans are among the dead. (Reuters)
Rep. Seth Moulton, the latest Democrat to enter the 2020 race, launched a presidential bid today focused on national security. The 40-year-old Marine combat veteran may be best known, perhaps, for his opposition to Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (NBC News)
Democratic presidential candidates diverge in how to respond to the Mueller report, with Elizabeth Warren calling for the impeachment of Donald Trump, Cory Booker saying not yet and Bernie Sanders calling for more congressional investigations. (WSJ)
* House Democrats to decide soon whether to seek Trump impeachment (USA Today)
Tesla (TSLA) said it immediately sent a team to investigate an apparent explosion of one of its cars in Shanghai on Sunday. It's not immediately clear which model was affected, but reports indicated the electric vehicle was parked at the time of the fire. (CNBC)
Tesla CEO Elon Musk plans to hold an investor event today, focusing the electric automaker's self-driving efforts. Separately, Musk and the SEC asked a federal judge for more time to negotiate a settlement over recent Musk tweets. (MarketWatch)
Boeing (BA), whose 737 Max jets are grounded, defends itself against allegations in The New York Times over its 787 Dreamliner. The paper claims "shoddy production and weak oversight" at the jet maker's South Carolina factory.
Samsung is postponing its China launch event for its foldable smartphone, just days after reports of defective screens on the $2,000 device. Journalists, including CNBC's Todd Haselton, who reviewed the product over the past few weeks, reported issues with the screen. (CNBC)
China's Huawei reported a 39 percent year-on-year increase in first-quarter revenue despite continued political pressure from nations including the U.S. The networking equipment maker said 5G deployment provides "unprecedented opportunities for growth." (CNBC)
* US attacks Huawei and China without its own 5G strategy (CNBC)
Nissan filed another criminal complaint against former Chairman Carlos Ghosn related to an aggravated breach of trust under Japan's Companies Act. It's the fourth charge since his arrested in November on suspicion of financial misconduct. Ghosn has denied all allegations. (Reuters)
STOCKS TO WATCH
Catering to consumers looking for "clean and natural" products, Target (TGT) is launching today a new household brand called Everspring for items such as laundry detergent, dish soap, candles, and paper towels.
Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) said co-founders and co-chairmen Warren Eisenberg and Leonard Feinstein will retire from the board and the retailer will appoint five independent directors.
T-Mobile US (TMUS) CEO John Legere has been trying to address the Justice Department's concerns over the wireless carrier's proposed merger with rival Sprint (S), according to a Bloomberg report.
Amazon (AMZN) confirmed earlier reports that it's launching an advertising-supported free version of its music service. Those reports had weighed on shares of rival Spotify (SPOT).
Kroger (KR) CEO Rodney McMullen told The Wall Street Journal the grocery chain's strategy will help it grow again, despite challenges from Whole Foods owner Amazon (AMZN) and Walmart (WMT).
WATERCOOLER
"The Curse of La Llorona," the latest horror movie to top the box office, along with other new releases "Breakthrough" and "Penguins," could not salvage the worst Easter weekend of domestic ticket sales in almost 15 years. (Variety)