10 things you need to know before the opening bell

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10 things you need to know before the opening bell

President Donald Trump speaks at the White House in Washington, Monday, June 24, 2019. Trump's sudden decision against military strikes may have prevented open conflict with Iran, but it also showed him to be an unpredictable, if unreliable, partner at home and abroad. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Associated Press

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Here is what you need to know.

1. Iran has warned US sanctions rule out a diplomatic resolution. Slapping sanctions on Iran's supreme leader marks the "permanent closure of the path of diplomacy," the Iranian government said.

2. SpaceX launched its Falcon Heavy rocket carrying 24 satellites. Elon Musk's company said it was one of the most difficult launches it's attempted so far.

3. Hong Kong protesters are buying adverts. The group raised more than HK$5 million ($640,500) through crowdfunding to take out newspaper ads and pressure politicians to discuss the China extradition bill at the G20 summit this week.

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4. Donald Trump reassured Japan he's committed to their security treaty. The move came after Bloomberg reported the president had discussed withdrawing from the pact.

5. Apple is expanding in Seattle. The tech titan plans to increase its headcount there to 2,000 over the next five years.

6. Iran's president insulted Trump. Hassan Rouhani said the US president was "afflicted with mental retardation."

7. Monzo secured a $2 billion valuation. The UK challenger bank raised $113 million in Series F funding from investors including Y Combinator Continuity.

8. Stocks have dropped. Equities fell as traders feared escalation in the US-Iran conflict and US-China trade war. Hong Kong's Hang Seng led the decline in Asia (-1.2%), while Britain's FTSE 100 was the laggard in Europe (-0.2%).

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9. Key earnings reports are coming out. FedEx, Micron, and Factset are set to reveal their results later today.

10. There's a raft of economic data on the way. Fed Chair Jerome Powell and several regional Fed presidents plan to give speeches today, and reports on housing prices and new home sales are scheduled for release.

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