5 things to know before markets open on Friday

Happy Friday. Congratulations to your first round NFL draft pick. CNBC’s Alex Sherman spoke with No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza ahead of the big night.

Stock futures were mixed this morning with all three major indexes in negative territory.

Here are five important things investors need to know to start their trading day.

Oil prices fell this morning after reports that Iranian negotiators were heading to Pakistan, raising investors’ hopes that peace talks between the US and Iran will resume.

The extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon announced yesterday also added to traders’ optimism. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the two countries have extended the ceasefire for three weeks after talks at the White House.

President Trump said on the same day that he had ordered the U.S. Navy to “shoot down any ships” that were laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. As CNBC’s Spencer Kimball writes, the war between the United States and Iran has escalated into a maritime standoff over the Strait, a key corridor for global oil trade.

Yesterday was a tough day not only for tech investors, but also for workers in the sector.

microsoft announced Thursday that it will offer voluntary buyouts to about 7% of its U.S. workforce. This is a first for the company. The plan follows multiple layoffs last year. Big Tech peers, on the other hand, Meta announced that it will cut approximately 8,000 jobs, or 10% of its workforce, and discontinue plans to hire 6,000 positions.

nike The company also announced yesterday that it would lay off 1,400 positions, mainly in the technology department, in its second round of layoffs this year.

regeneron is the latest drug company to offer discounts through a deal with the White House.

The White House announced yesterday that a biotech company will lower drug prices for some U.S. consumers and offer the first deafness gene therapy for free to eligible U.S. patients.

As CNBC’s Annika Kim Constantino points out, Regeneron joins a growing group of drug companies that are lowering prices in exchange for exemptions from President Trump’s costly drug tariffs. The Trump administration has concluded 17 deals to date, with more expected, CMS Deputy Administrator Chris Klomp said yesterday.

starbucks We’ve made major adjustments to our loyalty program. As CNBC’s Amelia Lucas reports, it’s paying off.

Customers are increasingly taking advantage of the coffee chain’s perks, such as Starbucks’ first “Free Mod Monday,” which more than doubled the number of point redemptions compared to previous Monday promotions. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of members use Personal Cups to double their star count. This is a double-digit increase since the changes were implemented.

Keep your ears open next week. The revamp of Starbucks’ loyalty program will likely be addressed during the company’s earnings call, scheduled for Tuesday after the bell.

Here are some articles you may have missed this week.

—CNBC’s Sean Conlon, Laura Murti, Laura Kolodny, Tobias Burns, Katie Tarasoff, Jordan Novett, Jonathan Bunyan, Raya Neelakandan, Kevin Browninger, Spencer Kimball, Jason Gerwitz, Annika Kim Constantino and Amelia Lucas contributed to this report.

Davis Giangiulio helped produce this newsletter. Josephine Rozzelle edited this version.