Stock futures jump as tech shares gain, U.S.-Iran agree to halt hostilities: Live updates

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., June 24, 2026.

Brendan McDermid | Reuters

Rocket Lab announced Monday that it will acquire satellite services company Iridium Communications.

The aerospace company will acquire all of Iridium’s outstanding common stock for $54 per share in a cash and stock transaction. Rocket Lab said the merger will combine its launch capabilities with Iridium’s satellite communications network, creating a competitive space company.

“”This is a defining moment for the space industry and the start of a new era of strategic, accelerated growth for Rocket Lab and Iridium,” said Sir Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, in a press release. “By marrying Iridium’s deep heritage, trusted infrastructure, and highly sought-after spectrum with Rocket Lab’s extensive and proven launch and manufacturing capabilities, we have the capability to unlock entirely new markets.”

Shares of Rocket Lab were up more than 10% after the announcement, while Iridium’s stock soared 20%.

— Davis Giangiulio

Check out the companies making the biggest moves premarket:

Charter Communications — The home internet provider soared almost 20% on a Bloomberg report from Friday that said the company and SpaceX had held exclusive talks on a consumer phone product. The report said Charter could run some of SpaceX’s consumer mobile phone traffic through its ground internet infrastructure.

Verizon Communications — The telecommunications company was off 0.5% after it projected second quarter losses between $700 million and $800 million. The estimate comes from the company classifying businesses its contributing as part of a joint venture with U.K.-based BT Group as held for sale.

Oracle — The cloud company rose 3% as it looked to start the shortened trading week with a rebound from its worst week since 2001. Shares fell 19% last week on worries about the company’s debt and if its bet on artificial intelligence will pay off.

Read the full list here.

— Davis Giangiulio

Don’t expect markets to get calmer once the war between Iran and the U.S. ends, according to Deutsche Bank.

“Markets should expect more policy volatility, not less, after Iran. Washington’s willingness to consider using force means geopolitical tail risks will likely remain difficult to price,” wrote Helen Belopolsky, the bank’s global head of geopolitical research.

“The midterms may cap some near-term volatility but increase incentives for visible foreign policy wins. President Trump has reason to avoid market-disruptive escalation before November, but pressure for quick wins could accelerate action on Cuba and Europe,” she added. “After November, foreign policy could become an even bigger focus. If domestic legislating becomes harder, the administration is likely to lean more heavily on executive tools, sanctions, tariffs, security deals and international resource coalitions.”

— Fred Imbert

CMCSA rallies

U.S. Treasury yields were little changed on Monday as investors looked ahead to key jobs data coming later in the week and monitored a fragile pause in hostilities between the U.S. and Iran.

At 3:50 a.m. ET, the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield rose less than a basis point to 4.376%, while the 2-year Treasury yield rose just over 1 basis point to 4.102%. Meanwhile, the 30-year bond yield declined less than one basis point to 4.861%.

One basis point is equal to 0.01%, and yields and prices move in opposite directions.

Investors are anticipating upcoming labor market data during the holiday-shortened week. The bond market will be closed on Friday, 3 July, ahead of Independence Day celebrations.

— Sawdah Bhaimiya

British American Tobacco’s U.S.-listed shares dipped in premarket trading after the company announced it would lay off 5,500 roles in a bid to deliver £600 million ($792.6 million) in cost savings by 2028.

The global tobacco company, which sells cigarettes, vapes, and other nicotine products, said Monday that 5,500 roles will be slashed by the end of the year and a further 3,500 jobs will be shifted to strategic partners, as part of its Fit2Win restructuring program. BAT sank nearly 2% before the market opened.

“We are building a future-ready organisation that is more agile, cost disciplined and technology enabled,” BAT CEO Tadeu Marroco said. “These changes affect many of our colleagues, and we are focused on supporting them through this transition with care and respect, as we position the business for the future.”

Earlier this year, BAT introduced an AI-driven productivity program in a bid to secure efficiency gains and simplify workloads, which it said would impact the size of the organization.

Most of the cuts announced have already been confirmed with the employees affected.

— Sawdah Bhaimiya

SpaceX shares rose 1.5% in premarket trading Monday after Nasdaq said the aerospace and satellite company would be fast-tracked onto the Nasdaq-100 index next month.

Elon Musk’s company is expected to join the tech-heavy benchmark index before trading begins on July 7.

The move, which Nasdaqannounced following Friday’s market close, comes just weeks after the rocket maker went public in a blockbuster IPO on June 12.

—Hugh Leask

European markets began the new trading week with no clear direction, with regional bourses and sectors in mixed territory by 8:10 a.m. in London (3:10 a.m. E.T.)

The Stoxx 600 opened flat on Monday, with the pan-European benchmark hovering around the flatline in early trade.

Most regional sectors were in the red, though technology was a standout performer, gaining 1.15%.

In Frankfurt, Germany’s DAX rose 0.18%, while the Italian FTSE MIB was 0.13% higher in Milan. In London, the U.K.’s FTSE 100 was down 0.09%, and in Paris, the CAC 40 was about 0.25% lower.

— Hugh Leask

Asia markets closed mostly higher, with key benchmarks rebounding from losses seen at the start of the trading day.

Japan’sNikkei 225was 0.15% higher, ending the session at 69,468.11, while South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.2% to 8,394.65.

Hong KongHang Seng Indexadvanced 1.82% higher in the final hour of trade, while the mainland’s CSI 300 was up 1.21% at 4,926.92. Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 added 0.68% to 8,823.40.

— Justina Lee

Prosus.

Fabricio Bloisi, CEO of Prosus, said the Amsterdam-based company, whose portfolio investments include Just Eat and Tencent, attributed stronger growth and profitability to the way the group uses technology.

But he also warned that European regulators are driving big tech away from the continent and towards the U.S. “It’s a mistake. We have to have big tech companies here,” Bloisi told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” Monday.

Prosus shares added 2.5% at the open.

— Hugh Leask

BT Group and Verizon are combining their international enterprise operations in a new 50:50 joint venture, which will create a new company focused on multinational connectivity.

In a statement, the telecoms giants said the deal will be worth about $4 billion in annual revenue, and will serve more than 3000 customers in over 180 countries.

Martijn Blanken is named CEO-designate of the new joint venture.

BT Group.

Dan Schulman, CEO of Verizon, said: “Our international customers require secure, flexible connectivity that works seamlessly across borders and cloud environments. When we thought about how to best support them, this joint venture was the clear answer: a cutting-edge, AI-ready and secure platform run by a single global organization dedicated to their needs.”

Allison Kirkby, CEO of BT Group, said the venture will create long-term value for shareholders. “Customers will benefit from new, secure and resilient connectivity platforms, which are designed for the age of AI and sovereign where it matters.”

— Hugh Leask

Gold and silver traded lower in early dealmaking, as questions over the durability of the Middle East ceasefire pushed oil prices higher, driving renewed inflation concerns and sending non-yielding precious metals lower.

Gold futures were last seen 0.68% lower at $4,068.10 shortly after 6:15 a.m. in London (1:15 a.m. E.T.). Spot prices of bullion were last seen down to the tune of 0.91%, at $4,050.84.

Meanwhile, silver futures were trading at $58.15, a 1.82% slide. Spot silver was last seen 1.5% lower at $58.25.

— Hugh Leask

Shares of Nintendo surged more than 6% after the company said it is evaluating the feasibility of a stock split.

The Japanesevideo game companysaid it “believes reduction of the minimum trading unit of shares is one of the effective measures to further expand the investor base and to enhance stock liquidity,” according to a statement on Monday.

The company last enacted a 10-for-1 stock split of its common stock in October 2022.

Stock splits help companies reduce the price of individual shares, making them more accessible to retail investors. The company’s overall market capitalization is not altered by stock splits, though they do increase the total number of outstanding shares.

— Justina Lee

Hong Kong-listed shares ofBaidusurged more than 7% Monday on reports that its artificial intelligence chip unit Kunlunxin is targeting an initial public offering in the city, which could value its affiliate at $50 billion.

Prospective investors were asked to buy semiconductors worth three to seven times the value of their intended investment in Kunlunxin’s planned listing, The InformationreportedSunday, citing two sources familiar with the matter.

Baidu confidentiallyfileda listing application for Kunlunxin on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange at the start of the year, though offering details, including size and structure, were undecided then.

—Justina Lee

Read the full story here

China on Monday blacklisted four Japanese government defense research institutes and imposed tighter export restrictions on dozens of other Japanese entities, escalating a months-long campaign to limit Tokyo’s access to Chinese-origin dual-use goods.

TheMinistry of Commerceadded 20 entities on the export control list and another 20 — includingMitsui E&S Co., drone makerTerra Drone Corporation, nuclear fuel processors, and multiple units ofOKI Electric Industry— on a watch list requiring enhanced licensing scrutiny. Both actions take effect immediately.

The authorities would implement “stricter end-user and end-use reviews on exports of dual-use items by entities on the watch list,” the ministry said.

“Exports involving Japanese military users, military uses, and any other end-user uses that contribute to enhancing Japan’s military strength will not be approved,” according to the statement.

— Anniek Bao

Oil edged higher on Monday afterrenewed military strikesbetween the U.S. and Iran over the weekend reignited concerns over crude supplies from the Middle East.

West Texas Intermediate futuresrose 1.3% to $70.17 a barrel. InternationalBrentclimbed 0.78% to $72.55.WTI futures settled below $70 on Friday for the first time since Feb. 27 — the day before the start of the Iran war.

Following clashes that threatened to derail negotiations aimed at ending the conflict, U.S. officials said both sides would pause hostilities and allow commercial vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz freely.

— Lee Ying Shan

Shares ofSamsung ElectronicsandSK Hynixplunged on Monday after reports surfaced that the pair are expected to unveil investment plans worth more than a trillion dollars.

Samsung Electronics’ stock was down 4.7%, while SK Hynix was 3.1% lower.

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix will unveil major investment plans of up to 2,000 trillion won ($1.3 trillion) over the next 10 years,the Korea Economic Daily reported.

The investment plans will be announced during a government briefing at 2 p.m. local time Monday. The meeting will be chaired by President Lee Jae Myung, thepresidential office said Sunday.

— Lee Ying Shan

Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed early Monday, as investors continue to assess the latest developments in the Middle East.

Japan’sNikkei 225slipped 0.35% while the Topix rose x0.43%.

The Kospi dropped 2.29% at open, while the small-cap Kosdaq added 0.97%.

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 was 0.41% higher.

—Justina Lee

Asia-Pacific markets were set to open higher on Monday after a rout in tech stocks last week.

Japan’sNikkei 225was poised to gain, with the Chicago futures contract at 70,170 and its Osaka counterpart last trading at 69,610, compared with the index’s previous close of 69,360.88.

Hong KongHang Seng indexfutures were at 22,916, higher than the index’s last close of 22,671.86.

In Australia, futures last traded at 8.774, while theS&P/ASX 200 closed Friday at 8,764.20.

Tensions in the Middle East escalated over the weekend after the U.S. struck Iranian military targets in retaliation for Iran’s strikes on shipping vessels in theStrait of Hormuz.

Markets are still parsing through mixed signals following the recent developments in the Middle East.

A Pakistani source told MS NOW that talks between Washington and Tehran have been put on hold, but that the US, Iran, Pakistan and Qatar all have representatives currently in Switzerland to restart discussions when instructed to do so.

A senior Trump administration official said the talks had not been called off. “Nothing has been cancelled,” the official said in a statement to MS NOW. “Technical talks regarding the implementation of [memorandum of understanding] are on track for the coming days as planned.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC.

—Justina Lee

SpaceX became one of the quickest additions ever to the Nasdaq-100 index, setting up a fresh wave of buying from passive investors less than a month after the company’s blockbuster public debut.

Nasdaq announced after the close Friday that SpaceX qualifies for inclusion in the benchmark technology index. Assuming the company meets the requirements, index-tracking funds and other product sponsors would begin purchasing shares after the market closes on July 6, with SpaceX officially joining the Nasdaq-100 before trading begins on July 7.

Read more here.

— Yun Li

PresidentDonald Trumpagain threatened Iran on Sunday with annihilation following U.S. attacks on Iranian military targets in retaliation for Tehran’s latest strikes on shipping in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s neighbors, Kuwait and Bahrain, reported incoming missiles and drones overnight.

“United States aircraft just struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN!,” Trumpwroteon Truth Social.

Read the full story here.

— Azhar Sukri