A Wall Street sign is viewed in front of the New York Stock Exchange.Eduardo Munoz | AFP | Getty ImagesThis is CNBC's Morning Squawk newsletter. Subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox.Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:1. Secret SantaThe three major indexes are coming off back-to-back winning weeks, with the S&P 500 on Friday rising closer to records it set earlier this year. Stocks' advances came as investors geared up for the last Federal Reserve poli ...

Group 1: Meta and AI Developments - Yann LeCun, Meta's chief AI scientist and Turing Award winner, is leaving to start his own company focused on advancing world models [3] - Mark Zuckerberg is shifting Meta's AI strategy from long-term research to faster deployment of commercial models, following a $14.3 billion investment in a new superintelligence division [4] Group 2: Financial Concerns in AI Sector - Investor Michael Burry claims that major cloud and AI firms are inflating profits by extending the useful life of their chips and servers, potentially understating depreciation by $176 billion from 2026 to 2028 [5][6] - Burry's fund has taken bearish positions in Nvidia and Palantir, challenging the prevailing AI optimism [6] Group 3: Company Performance and Market Trends - Sea Limited's Q3 revenue increased nearly 40% to $6 billion, despite missing profit estimates [7] - Paramount Skydance plans to invest $1.5 billion in theatrical releases and direct-to-consumer platforms, with analysts expressing cautious optimism about its strategic moves [8] - Xpeng's humanoid robotics program is gaining attention, with the debut of its next-generation IRON robot [9] Group 4: Levi's Pricing Strategy and Market Outlook - Levi Strauss is testing premium pricing with $300 jeans, indicating confidence in brand strength and a broader denim market recovery [10][11] - The company forecasts annual denim sales growth of 5% to 7% through the end of the decade across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific [11] Group 5: Nvidia's Market Influence - Nvidia's market capitalization has surpassed $5 trillion, with a 7.77% weighting in the S&P 500, indicating its significant influence on market trends [13]

This is Okayama's famed Kojima Jeans Street where it's all about Japanese denim. Japanese denim is having its moment in the spotlight now with tourists and major fashion brands trying to get their hands on them. Just late last year, a private equity firm backed by LVMH acquired a stake in Japanese denim brand Kapital.This specific type of denim is marked by unique imperfections and a sewing pattern that can only be achieved using looms from a bygone era of Japan's industrial age. To get the fabrics signatur ...

Market Overview - The S&P 500 and NASDAQ have reached record-breaking levels, while gold prices have rallied above $4,000 for the second consecutive day, significantly outpacing equity markets [1] - Bitcoin has increased by 54% year-to-date, indicating strong performance in the cryptocurrency market [1] Gold Market - Gold gained 27% in the previous year and is expected to maintain elevated levels due to a rush to safety, record ETF inflows, and a weaker dollar [2] - The Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates in September is anticipated to support gold prices further [2][3] Federal Reserve Insights - The Federal Reserve is concerned about a weakening labor market and has discussed potential interest rate cuts, with a majority favoring two to three additional cuts in 2025 [3] - A narrow split among officials indicates a preference for two more cuts before the end of the year, with further easing expected in 2026 and 2027 [3][4] Sector Performance - Despite the overall market rally, four sectors, including energy, faced pressure, with crude prices rising over 1% following a modest production hike by OPEC+ [5][6] - Technology stocks, particularly AMD, have shown strong performance, with AMD being the best performer on the S&P 500 [6][7] Upcoming Earnings Reports - Pepsi is expected to report a modest decrease in profitability despite growing sales, having underperformed its industry peers with an 18% decline year-to-date [8][9] - Delta Airlines is anticipated to report the best earnings in the airline industry, with analysts optimistic about the premium segment's performance [10][11] - Levi Strauss is also set to report earnings, focusing on tariff impacts and consumer trends, with the company maintaining a positive outlook on brand loyalty and revenue guidance despite anticipated margin pressures [12][14]