GoKawiilThis is CNBC's Morning Squawk newsletter. Subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox. Happy Thursday. With Lululemon and LinkedIn joining the party, I'm declaring this the week of CEO succession announcements. Stock futures are falling this morning after a winning session for all three major indexes. Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:
1. Back to the top
n this handout photo provided by U.S. Central Command, U.S. forces patrol the Arabian Sea near M/V Touska on April 20, 2026, after firing upon the Iranian-flagged vessel that the U.S. accused of attempting to violate the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Navy | Getty Images
2. Low charge
Tesla cars charge at a Tesla Supercharger station in Pasadena, California, March 30, 2026. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
Tesla reported stronger-than-expected earnings for the first quarter yesterday, but its revenue for the period came in under analysts' estimates. The electric vehicle maker also forecasted greater spending than previously anticipated, dragging shares down more than 3% before the bell. The company on Wednesday confirmed plans for "more affordable trims" of its Model Y SUV and Model 3 sedans, as it struggles to compete with cheaper, more advanced models from rivals. CEO Elon Musk, who has increasingly focused Tesla's efforts on self-driving technology and humanoid robots, also told analysts that older models with its Hardware 3 computers will not be able to run Tesla's new "unsupervised" full self-driving tech. Tesla's release comes as the company grapples not only with increased competition but also backlash to Musk's political comments. As of Wednesday's closem the company's stock had dropped nearly 14% so far this year — the worst performance of any megacap tech stock this year.
3. Trimming down
Kevin Warsh, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee for Chair of the Federal Reserve, testifies during his Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs confirmation hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on April 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. Andrew Harnik | Getty Images
Kevin Warsh told senators this week that he would prefer the Federal Reserve use "trimmed averages" to measure inflation, rather than the core price index for personal consumption expenditures. But Bank of America warned yesterday that this could backfire. Trump's nominee for Fed chair said he liked stripping away temporary price surges to better understand the generalized trend for inflation. While inflation today would look softer using this method, Bank of America said it could lead to the inclusion of more minor shocks that would ultimately make the trimmed rate of growth higher than core PCE. This isn't unheard of, the bank said. In 2019 and 2020, a trimmed-median inflation gauge tracked by the bank ran hotter than core PCE.
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