Stocks open higher

The three major averages began Wednesday’s session in the green.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 230 points, or 0.4%, just after 9:30 a.m. ET. The S&P 500 advanced 0.4%, along with the Nasdaq Composite.

— Sean Conlon

Treasury announces upscaled buyback operation for longer-term debt

The Treasury Department on Wednesday said it will more than double the size of its government debt repurchases, sending yields sharply lower.

With fixed income markets under pressure and yields surging to levels not seen in nearly 20 years, the announcement targets a sensitive part of the Treasury market.

Under the accelerated buyback, Treasury will target the 10- to 20- year and 20- to 30-year portion of the market, which has seen a buyers’ strike since late June. The government will “at least double” the maximum size of its buyback operations, from $2 billion to “at least” $4 billion, according to an announcement from the department.

Yields cratered following the announcement. Read more.

— Jeff Cox

Morgan Stanley upgrades Honeywell Aerospace

An Embraer E170LR flight test aircraft and a Falcon 900EX flight test aircraft are on display as Honeywell Aerospace hosts a media tour of their facility ahead of their investor day, in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. June 2, 2026.

Caitlin O’hara | Reuters

Honeywell Aerospace is looking very cheap, so it’s a good time to scoop up its shares, according to Morgan Stanley. 

The investment bank upgraded the aerospace name to overweight from equal weight. It has a price target of $205 on shares, implying nearly 28% upside from Tuesday’s close. 

“Our fundamental concerns have not disappeared: HONA screens toward the lower end of peers on revenue and EBIT growth, margin expansion is limited, [free cash flow] conversion trails peers, and lower next-generation Commercial [original equipment] content could constrain the long-term aftermarket opportunity,” analyst Kristine Liwag said in a note to clients. “We believe the valuation now  more than compensates for these risks. HONA warrants a discount to peers, in our view – but not the ~35% discount reflected today.”

Shares of Honeywell Aerospace have fallen roughly 24% in the past month. The company was spun out from Honeywell in late June, as supply chain issues have stymied its operations.

CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.

— Liz Napolitano

Target, Estee Lauder and Analog Devices among the names making moves before the bell

Check out the companies making the biggest moves premarket:

Target — The retailer declined 1.5% despite reporting better-than-expected revenues in its second-quarter financial report and hiking its full-year guidance. Results were boosted by a $752 million boost to net earnings, or $1.65 per share, from tariff refunds.Estee Lauder — The beauty care manufacturer and marketer rose more than 7% after it reported earnings and revenue for its fiscal fourth quarter that beat consensus estimates, according to analysts polled by FactSet. The company also reported that it expects earnings of between $3.10 to $3.35 per share in fiscal year 2027, about in-line with FactSet estimates for between $2.95 to $3.42.Analog Devices — The semiconductor company rose more than 3% after adjusted earnings and revenue for its fiscal third quarter, along with current quarter guidance, came in above expectations. Its gross margin, on a non-GAAP basis, rose to 72.5% compared to 69.2% a year ago.

Read the full list here.

— Davis Giangiulio

Moderna soars 60% on new cancer vaccine results

The Moderna Inc. headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on March 26, 2024.

Adam Glanzman | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Shares of Moderna jumped 61% in premarket trading after an experimental cancer vaccine from the company and Merck showed positive results in its late-stage trial. Merck’s stock moved 7% higher.

The mRNA-based shot used in combination with Merck’s immunotherapy Keytruda met key goals in the trial with more than 1,100 patients with higher-risk or advanced melanoma whose detectable cancer had been completely removed through surgery.

Moderna and Merck plan to present the data at an upcoming meeting, but it is unclear when they play to submit applications for U.S. approval.

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MRNA, 1-day

— Annika Kim Constantino and Michelle Fox

Lowe’s falls on muted outlook

Lowe’s shares were down nearly 2% after the company issued a lackluster full-year revenue guidance and earnings guidance. Results for the second quarter were also mixed.

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LOW 5-day chart

Read more here.

— Fred Imbert

Target posts earnings beat, hikes outlook

Target logo sign is seen in Chicago, Illinois, United States, on July 29, 2026.

Marcin Golba | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Target on Wednesday posted quarterly earnings that were boosted by tariff refunds and raised its full-year guidance, as the retailer shows more signs its turnaround is taking hold. 

“We’re encouraged by the progress made so far, and we’re also clear-eyed about the important work still ahead,” CEO Michael Fiddelke said on a call with reporters. “Q2 is an important step forward in the plan we laid out earlier this year to open a new chapter of growth for Target. What you saw from us this quarter reflects the level of change we knew would be needed to put our strategy in motion.”

Shares fell slightly in the premarket following the report, however.

Read the full story here.

— Laya Neelakandan

Oracle slips after report of disappointing Q2 for OpenAI

The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources, that OpenAI disclosed second-quarter results that disappointed investors. While revenue expanded by 18% between the first and second quarter, losses grew as well.

The report appeared to weigh on certain tech stocks. Oracle fell nearly 1% in the premarket. Alphabet shares were also lower in early trading along with chipmakers Marvell and Intel.

— Fred Imbert

Treasury yields ease slightly

Treasury yields pulled back slightly on Wednesday from multi-decade highs seen on the previous day, as a sell-off at the long end of the curve eased investor jitters. 

The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note — the key benchmark for U.S. government borrowing — was almost 1 basis point lower at 4.696%.

The 2-year Treasury note yield, which more closely tracks short-term Federal Reserve interest rate policy, fell more than 1 basis point to 4.1602%. 

The longer-dated 30-year Treasury bond yield was last seen flat at 5.283%, after notching a new 19-year high on Tuesday at over 5.33%. 

— Joseph Wilkins

World’s largest olive oil company pops over 15% as rivals circle in takeover battle

Bottles of Carbonell branded olive oil on a conveyor on the production line at the Deoleo SA plant Cordoba, Spain, on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022.

Angel Garcia | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Shares of Spain’s Deoleo jumped over 15% on Wednesday morning amid an intensifying takeover battle for the world’s largest olive oil bottler and marketer.

The stock move comes amid reports that Spanish agri-food cooperative group Dcoop has offered 470 million euros ($545 million) for Deoleo, taking the lead in a takeover race that includes Italian, French and Australian firms.

The sale is not yet finalized, Spain’s El Economista newspaper reported Wednesday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, but it is said to be in its final phase, with a closing initially expected in September.

SK Hynix shares narrow losses as chipmaker vows major investor returns

SK Hynix signage during the company’s initial public offering (IPO) at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York, US, on Friday, July 10, 2026.

Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images

SK Hynix will spend at least 50% of free cash flow generated from 2025 to 2027 on shareholder returns, the South Korean chipmaker said on Wednesday.

The group said it would buy back and cancel 40 trillion won ($28.61 billion) worth of treasury shares in the process, while further shareholder returns would be offered through dividends.

Further details will be announced alongside third-quarter earnings, SK Hynix added.

SK Hynix shares were down by around 10% in Korean trading prior to the announcement, which saw losses narrowing to around 3% at time of writing.

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SK Hynix shares have been volatile this year.

Asia-Pacific markets close lower amid worries over Mideast tensions, global bond rout

Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed 3.16% lower at 65,326.42, while South Korea’s Kospi dropped 5.80% to 6,471.17.

Both indexes were weighed by losses in tech stocks. Samsung and SK Hynix, which are Kospi heavyweights, fell 7.82% and 9.75%, respectively. Over in Japan, SoftBank Group declined over 10% and Nintendo was 2.09% lower.

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.18% to 9,053.80.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was marginally lower in the last hour of trade Wednesday, while mainland China’s CSI 300 closed 2.90% lower at 4,588.70.

— Justina Lee

European stocks start the day in positive territory

Alex Kraus | Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Stoxx 600 was up 0.1% shortly after 8:00 a.m. in London (3:00 a.m. E.T.), with the continent’s major bourses and regional sectors in mixed territory.

Construction stocks led early gains, adding 0.91%, as basic resources rose 0.66% and chemicals advanced 0.43%.

The French CAC 40 rose 0.17% in early trade, with the U.K.’s FTSE 100 up 0.10%. The German DAX and Italian FTSE MIB were both hovering around the flatline.

UK inflation rises to 2.9% as gas prices jump

U.K. annual consumer price inflation rose to 2.9% in July, up from 2.6% the previous month, following the largest increase in gas prices since October 2022, when Russia commenced its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, official data shows.

The inflation print, which was in line with forecasts, was driven by a 3.4% rise in services costs, compared to a more modest rise of 1.7% in goods prices.

“The largest upward contribution came from housing and household services, particularly gas and electricity,” the U.K’s Office for National Statistics said. “The largest offsetting downward contribution came from transport.”

Stock markets in Europe set to open lower

City of London skyline with 20 Fenchurch Street, affectionately nicknamed the Walkie Talkie as light fades at dusk on 27th November 2025 in London, United Kingdom.

Mike Kemp | In Pictures | Getty Images

European markets are expected to start Wednesday’s session marginally lower, with Stoxx 50 futures seen down by around 0.1%.

German DAX futures were 0.13% lower, and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 was 0.16% down ahead of the market open, as French CAC 40 futures dipped 0.18%.

The Italian FTSE MIB was set to open almost 0.1% in the red.

— Hugh Leask

Oil prices rise as U.S., Iran offer conflicting signals on Strait of Hormuz

Oil prices edged higher Wednesday amid conflicting signals from Tehran and Washington over whether the Strait of Hormuz remained open to shipping.

Brent crude futures rose or 0.7% to $91.66 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 0.86% to $85.67 per barrel.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that no talks were underway with Iran and maintained that the Strait of Hormuz was open, at odds with Tehran’s claim that the key shipping route remained closed.

— Lee Ying Shan

China’s backflipping robot maker Unitree surges nearly 630% in Shanghai debut

Two robots produced by Unitree take part in a fighting demonstration during the 2026 World Robot Conference in Beijing on August 19, 2026.

Adek Berry | Afp | Getty Images

Unitree Robotics surged 629.4% in their trading debut Wednesday in Shanghai. 

The Hangzhou-based robot maker, whose backflipping and dancing machines have drawn global attention, raised about 6.1 billion yuan ($905 million) in its IPO, according to its prospectus. Shares rose to 1,100 yuan apiece, before paring gains, last up 496% at 898.4 yuan.

The IPO also drew backing from Chinese AI company DeepSeek, which invested about 140.8 million yuan, according to a company filing. Unitree’s existing investors also include Chinese tech giant Tencent. 

— Jenny Lee

Samsung Electronics to invest $158 million in HVAC production line; shares down over 5%

Samsung Electronics announced Wednesday that it will invest around 240 billion won ($158 million) to build a heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, production line at its operations site in Gwangju, South Korea.

The investment will target the rapidly growing HVAC market, including the production of advanced cooling solutions for AI data centers. The facility will manufacture products from FläktGroup, which Samsung acquired last year.

Its shares fell over 5% in early trading Wednesday in Seoul amid a broader decline in tech stocks.

— Jenny Lee

Mainland China and Hong Kong benchmarks fall

Mainland China and Hong Kong shares were lower Wednesday, amid losses across Asian markets as a global bond rout and Mideast worries sentiment.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index declined 0.43%, while mainland China’s CSI 300 dropped 1.41% .

Investors are also keeping watch on the debut of China’s best-known humanoid maker, Unitree Robotics on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

— Justina Lee

Asian technology stocks fall amid worries over global bond rout

Asian technology stocks fell Wednesday, tracking their U.S. peers, which pulled back due to a drop in global bonds.

In Japan, SoftBank Group dropped 5.44%, while chip equipment maker Tokyo Electron was 3.85% lower. Advantest lost 3.93%, and Japanese memory chipmaker Kioxia declined 9.13%.

In South Korea, SK Hynix fell 8.66%, while Samsung Electronics slipped 7.08%. Seoul Semiconductor declined 4.33%.

Tech stocks have been seeing heightened volatility in recent sessions, with South Korea’s semiconductor-heavy market whipsawing between steep losses and record gains.

— Justina Lee

South Korea’s Kospi plunges nearly 6% at open, Japan’s Nikkei 225 drops 1%

Asia-Pacific markets opened lower Wednesday, with South Korea’s Kospi leading declines.

The Kospi dropped 5.89% at open, while the small-cap Kosdaq was 3.62% lower, leading to a temporary halt in trading. Kospi heavyweights Samsung and SK Hynix was down over 7% and over 5%, respectively.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.04% while the Topix declined 1.01%.

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.50%.

— Justina Lee

Asia-Pacific markets set to open lower as global bond rout, higher oil prices dent sentiment

Asia-Pacific markets were set to open lower Wednesday, as worries over higher oil prices and a global bond rout dent investor sentiment.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 was poised to decline, with the Chicago futures contract at 66,075 and its Osaka counterpart last trading at 66,060, compared with the index’s previous close of 67,460.73.

Hong Kong Hang Seng index futures were at 25,371, compared with the index’s last close of 25,471.15.

Futures for Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 last traded at 8,976, while the index closed at 9,070.

Tensions in the Middle East remain elevated after President Donald Trump said that the U.S. is not in any talks with Iran and has no plans to start new ones. While Trump continued to reiterate that the the Strait of Hormuz is open and cleared of water mines, worries over oil disruptions continue to persist.

“Efforts to bring an end to the war have not been successful, and reports suggest Iran will now become more aggressive,” said Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell.

“That raises the risk of further disruption to oil supplies out of the Middle East,” Coatsworth added.

— Justina Lee

U.S. government debt yields are surging at a bad time. Here’s why

Treasury yields are continuing to climb, and at a particularly bad time as higher rates worsen the impact of the nearly $40 trillion government debt load.

Longer-dated debt has been hit particularly hard by the recent leg up, pushing the 30-year bond yield close to its highest level since the early part of the 21st century. Other maturities also have risen, owing to a number of factors conspiring to raise financing costs.

Fixed income strategists ascribe the run that began in June to a number of variables: intensified concerns over a budget deficit that appears set to eclipse its 2025 level; inflation in an ominous holding pattern above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target despite moderating data over the past two months; and a rash of corporate debt issuance competing with Treasurys for investors’ favor.

Broadly, the move can also be attributed to a rising term premium, or the extra yield investors demand to hold U.S. debt.

Read the full story here.

— Jeff Cox

Toll Brothers and Keysight Technologies among the stocks making the biggest moves after hours

Check out the companies making headlines after hours:

Toll Brothers — Shares of the luxury homebuilder dipped 0.3%. Toll Brothers said it sees fourth quarter deliveries ranging from 3,450 to 3,550 versus the StreetAccount consensus estimate of 3,508. The company reported third quarter earnings of $2.97 per share on revenues of $2.65 billion. Analysts polled by LSEG had expected per-share earnings of $2.93 on revenues of $2.61 billion.Keysight Technologies — The electronic test and measurement company rose 2% after posting third quarter results that exceeded expectations on the top and bottom lines. Keysight posted earnings of $3.07 per share, excluding items, more than the $2.48 per share expected by analysts polled by FactSet. Revenue of $1.85 billion beat the $1.75 billion consensus estimate.

Read the full list here.

— Sarah Min

Stock futures open little changed

Stock futures opened little changed Tuesday night.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose by 12 points, or 0.02%. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures dipped 0.02% and 0.09%, respectively.

— Sarah Min