10 things you need to know before the opening bell

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10 things you need to know before the opening bell

Ping pong robot

Reuters/Fabian Bimmer

German table tennis player Dimitrij Ovtcharov plays against table tennis robot "Forpheus" at the world's biggest industrial fair, "Hannover Fair", in Hanover, Germany.

Here is what you need to know.

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The 10-year is on the doorstep of 3%. The benchmark yield is up 2 basis points at 2.98%, and is on the verge of its first 3% print since the beginning of 2014.

One popular trade is stuck in its worst stretch in 35 years - but Morgan Stanley has the perfect strategy for a big comeback. Intermediate Treasurys turned in consecutive quarters of negative total return for the first time 1973, according to data compiled by Morgan Stanley.

Germany's central bank has brought home $95 billion in gold bullion and put some on display to prove it's real. Germany's Bundesbank has stashed 3,400 tonnes of gold, worth 117 billion euros ($187 billion), in central bank treasuries in New York, London and Paris since the Cold War, to keep it safe from a possible Soviet invasion - and now its bringing it back.

Apple could launch a new iPhone this year that has a bigger screen than the iPhone X. Several reliable sources - including Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, Morgan Stanley, and KGI Securities - all expect the tech giant to launch a lower cost iPhone this year.

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HNA cuts its Deutsche Bank stake. The Chinese conglomerate's stake in Deutsche Bank is down to 7.9% after being at around 10% in February, Reuters says, citing a US regulatory filing shows.

Porsche officials have been charged with doctoring emissions results to make cars meet Korea's environmental standards. "We reject these allegations and will do our utmost to clear up the matter," Porsche CEO Oliver Blume told staff in a memo, seen by Reuters.

UBS' wealth management business comes up short. The bank's Global Wealth Management division delivered pre-tax profits of 1.12 billion Swiss francs ($1.1 billion) in the first quarter. That's up 7% versus a year ago but below analysts forecasts.

Stock markets around the world are lower. Hong Kong's Hang Seng (-0.54%) led the losses in Asia and Germany's DAX (-0.22%) trails in Europe. The S&P 500 is set to open little changed near 2,669.

Earnings reporting picks up. Halliburton and Kimberly-Clark report ahead of the opening bell while Alphabet releases its quarterly results after markets close.

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US economic data keeps coming. Markit PMIs and existing home sales will be released at 9:45 a.m. ET and 10 a.m. ET, respectively.

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