BY THE NUMBERS
U.S. stock futures were indicating a sharply higher Thursday open on Wall Street, as the Fed's dovish stance fuels hopes for future interest rate cuts. The Dow and S&P 500 are poised to erase the last of May's sharp losses, with the Nasdaq coming close to doing the same. (CNBC)
A divided Fed held the line on rates and suggested formally that no cuts are coming in 2019. The decision came amid divisions over what is ahead and still leaves open the possibility that policy loosening could happen before the end of the year depending on how conditions unfold. (CNBC)
* 10-year Treasury yield drops below 2% for first time since November 2016 (CNBC)
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said that despite reports that President Donald Trump was looking to demote or fire him, he doesn't plan on leaving the central bank anytime soon. "I think the law is clear that I have a four-year term, and I fully intend to serve it," Powell said. (CNBC)
* Trump could cause market 'turmoil' if he removes Powell: Ex-Fed governor (CNBC)
*Â Cramer: The stock market 'would probably go up' if Trump were to remove Powell (CNBC)
Get ready for a packed U.S. economic calendar today. At 8:30 a.m. ET, the government is out with initial jobless claims along with the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index. At 10 a.m. ET, the Conference Board issues its index of leading economic indicators for May. (CNBC)
Olive Garden-parent Darden Restaurants (DRI) and supermarket chain Kroger (KR) issue quarterly earnings this morning, while software maker Red Hat (RHT) and pot-stock Canopy Growth (CGC) report after today's closing bell.
Slack is set to debut on the NYSE today under the ticker symbol "WORK," with a reference price set at $26 per share. Like music streaming service Spotify (SPOT), Slack decided to pursue a direct listing, rather than a traditional initial public offering. (CNBC)
* Cramer: Slack could go on a run when it debuts, but stay disciplined (CNBC)
* Here's who gets rich from Slack's market debut (CNBC)
IN THE NEWS TODAY
A surface-to-air missile shot down a U.S. military drone in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Major General Hossein Salami told state television the downing was a "clear message" to Washington. Oil prices jumped more than 2% on the news in early morning trading. (CNBC)
* What would Iran gain by attacking foreign tankers? (CNBC)
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang this morning for a state visit to North Korea, the first by a Chinese state leader in 14 years. The visit comes days before Xi is set to meet with Trump at next week's G-20 summit. (CNBC)
* Trio of Unlikely Partners: Kim, Xi and Trump (NY Times)
Deutsche Bank (DB) is facing a possible probe over whether it complied with U.S. anti-money laundering laws, according to a report in the New York Times. Included in the review by federal authorities are transactions linked to Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor.
If the Trump administration and Congress fail to reach a spending agreement, the White House will offer a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown and keep agencies funded at current levels for a year, said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. (CNBC)
Alabama judge Roy Moore is reportedly going to announce today whether he plans to make another Republican run for the U.S. Senate. Moore lost to a Democrat in a 2017 special election following allegations of past sexual misconduct by Moore with young girls. (Politico)
A new order by a federal judge in Maryland sets up a potential new block to the Trump administration's plans to add a citizenship question to forms for the upcoming 2020 census. The latest development could complicate the Census Bureau's plans to finalize questionnaires for the upcoming national head count. (NPR)
Boeing (BA) is in talks with more airlines for sales of its currently grounded 737 Max jet, according to the company's sales chief. That follows a 200-jet commitment from British Airways owner IAG. (Reuters)
Waymo has signed a deal with Renault and Nissan to develop self-driving cars and trucks for use in France, Japan and possibly other countries in Asia, including China. It's the first agreement Waymo has signed to provide its technology and services to automakers working to build their own self-driving cars and services. (CNBC)
Goldman Sachs (GS) is cutting its price target on Tesla (TSLA) to $158 from $200 per share on the expectation that the stock will continue to decline over concerns about demand for the electric auto maker's vehicles. Tesla shares are down about 30% this year. (CNBC)
T-Mobile (TMUS) is preparing for an auction of its Boost Mobile prepaid unit if its talks to sell wireless assets to Dish Network (DISH) fall through. T-Mobile is seeking to sell assets to win regulatory approval for its proposed acquisition of rival Sprint (S). (Reuters)
Large employers are putting together benefit plans for next year, and they're expecting the rise in employee health costs to hit a four-year high, in part, due to rising drug prices. That's according to PwC Health Research Institute's annual Medical Cost Trend survey. (CNBC)
*Â Google Assistant is better than Alexa or Siri at helping patients with their drugs, study finds (CNBC)
STOCKS TO WATCH
Oracle (ORCL) reported adjusted quarterly profit of $1.16 per share, beating estimates by 9 cents.The business software giant also saw revenue beat Wall Street forecasts, benefiting from strength in its on-premise IT offerings, as well as cloud and license support services.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is offering concessions to European Union regulators to relieve concerns over its planned joint venture with Pfizer's (PFE) consumer health unit. The EU is set to decide by July 10 whether to accept those concessions and approve the deal.
Steelcase (SCS) missed on expected earnings and revenue, compared to Wall Street estimates. The company said the revenue shortfall was due to order growth that was weighted toward the second half of the quarter.
Pier 1 Imports (PIR) announced a 1-for-20 reverse stock split, in order for the household goods retailer to regain compliance with NYSE listing standards.
Dell Technologies (DELL) was rated "buy" in new coverage at Deutsche Bank, which said a likely slowdown in IT infrastructure growth is already reflected in the stock price, following a recent 25% pullback.
Hershey (HSY) was downgraded to "underweight" from "neutral" at Piper Jaffray, which said the chocolate maker has stable growth but is trading at a historically high premium to its peers.
WATERCOOLER
Netflix (NFLX) said its "Murder Mystery" movie was watched by nearly 31% account holders in its first three days, the biggest opening ever for a Netflix film. If the Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston comedy ran in theaters, it would've made $120.5 million in the U.S. box office. (Fortune)