Here are the most important news items that investors need to start their trading day:
1. Time for a holiday
Talk about a well-timed holiday weekend. The three major indices have had a mixed week so far, with the S&P 500 and Dow both down, while the Nasdaq is up slightly after Nvidia's encouraging earnings report. The debt ceiling isn't settled yet (more below), and investors will be glad to see a deal before markets open again on Tuesday. Markets will also get a chance to chew over new economic data, including personal income and consumer spending, as many get ready for three days off for Memorial Day. Follow live market updates.
2. Closer to a deal
Negotiators in Washington remain locked in talks over the debt ceiling, and there are signs a deal could be close. Reuters reported that the White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's team are putting the finishing touches on an agreement that would raise the debt ceiling for two years while putting a cap on spending, except when it comes to funds for the military and seniors. Any deal still needs to pass through Congress, and the Treasury has warned the U.S. could run out of money to pay its bills as soon as next Thursday.
3. Supercharged partnership
In a unique turn of events, Ford CEO Jim Farley and Tesla CEO Elon Musk joined each other for a Twitter Spaces discussion Thursday. The eyebrow-raising conversation turned out to be a forum for the two executives to announce a partnership that will allow Ford's growing slate of electric vehicles to use Tesla's charging network. And it could turn out to be a pivotal moment for the United States amid a broader push to push EV adoption and move away from vehicles powered by fossil fuels. "Working with Elon and his team, I'm really excited for our industry and for the Ford customers," Farley said.
4. JPMorgan's A.I. ambitions
JPMorgan Chase wants to get in on the artificial intelligence action. CNBC's Hugh Son dug up a trademark application the bank filed earlier this month for a product called IndexGPT, which would aim to give investors advice. According to the filing, the application would use "cloud computing software using artificial intelligence" for "analyzing and selecting securities tailored to customer needs." While JPMorgan declined to comment on the filing, a trademark attorney who spoke to CNBC said it looks like the bank will move forward with the service. "Companies like JPMorgan don't just file trademarks for the fun of it," said the lawyer, Josh Gerben.
5. Russia ramps up attacks
Ukrainian officials said Russian missiles and drones battered the country in an intense overnight assault. While Ukraine knocked down several projectiles, Russia still managed to cause heavy damage for homes and businesses, officials said. The attack comes as Ukraine plans a counteroffensive intended to drive Russian occupiers out of areas in the east and south of the country. Meanwhile, Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and a close ally of Vladimir Putin, said the conflict between the nations could last for decades. Follow live war updates.
– CNBC's Alex Harring, Christina Wilkie, Emma Kinery, John Rosevear, Lora Kolodny, Michael Wayland, Hugh Son and Ruxandra Iordache contributed to this report.
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