Oil prices, Target earnings, the new iPhone and more in Morning Squawk

Company Performance - Target Corporation reported fourth-quarter earnings that exceeded Wall Street's expectations, resulting in a 4% increase in shares before the market opened. However, the retailer experienced a decline in revenue and store traffic, with revenue down approximately 1.5% compared to the same period last year. This marks the fourth consecutive quarter of decreased customer visits to both physical stores and the website [3][4]. Industry Trends - Apple has launched the iPhone 17e, a more affordable version of the iPhone 17, starting at $599. Additionally, the company updated the iPad Air with the new M4 chip while maintaining the same design and price. More product announcements are anticipated in the coming days, indicating a significant push in product releases [8]. Mergers and Acquisitions - Paramount Skydance is planning to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, which could lead to the merger of Paramount+ and HBO Max into a single streaming service. Paramount CEO David Ellison stated that HBO would remain a sub-brand within the new platform, although specific details regarding pricing and branding have not been disclosed [9][10].