Global oil-producing group OPEC and its allies are meeting in Vienna from Thursday, with expectations raised over whether the alliance will make further cuts to its output at the two-day gathering. OPEC meets on Thursday and the group will be joined by its non-OPEC allies on Friday — with a final decision likely that afternoon. Oil prices rose around 4% Wednesday off the back of Iraq’s suggestion for deeper cuts and there is a chance the production group will ultimately agree to cut more. Iraqi

U.S. stock index futures were slightly higher on Thursday. At around 02:15 a.m., Dow futures rose 27 points, indicating a positive open of more than 20 points. Futures on the S&P and Nasdaq were both slightly higher. President Donald Trump also said Wednesday that he believed trade talks with Beijing were going “very well.” On the data front, the latest weekly jobless claims and international trade figures for October will be released at 8:30 a.m.

Despite political concerns, the Chinese telecommunications group Huawei will in future be able to play a major role in the expansion of the German 5G mobile communications network. Huawei is looking to overturn a ruling by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that bars a government fund from being used to buy equipment from the Chinese telecommunications giant. Last month, the FCC banned the use of the $8.5 billion a year Universal Service Fund (USF) to purchase equipment and service

A broad coalition of consumer groups is calling on the Federal Trade Commission to conduct a sweeping review of digital media companies that target children, according to a letter obtained by CNBC. In addition, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has signed on to the effort as the medical community grows increasingly worried about children’s digital environment. “Since digital technology evolves rapidly, so must our understanding of how data companies are engaging with children’s informatio

Stocks in Asia were set to trade higher on Thursday as investors digest recent developments on U.S.-China trade. Futures pointed to a higher open for Japanese stocks, with the Nikkei futures contract in Chicago at 23,350 while its counterpart in Osaka was at 23,360. Meanwhile, shares in Australia jumped in early trade after leading losses among regional markets on Wednesday, with the S&P/ASX 200 gaining about 1%. Investors will watch for the release of Australia’s merchandise trade and retail sa

Ewen shared four ways to get a good deal on last-minute travel. Fly on holidaysBook a flight on off-peak dates and holidays to save money, Ewen says. The holidays are also prime time for discounted upgrades, Ewen says. Since “road warriors” or frequent business travelers tend to stay home over the holidays, lower-tier status holders often receive complimentary upgrades, Ewen says. Set up pricing and award alertsIn order to take advantage of last-minute holiday airfare discounts, use Google Fligh

That means doing your research on your charities of choice before you donate, says Ashley Post, a spokesperson for Charity Navigator. Here are three ways to make sure your donation counts, as well as some suggestions for creative ways to give. 2. Review the charity’s ratingChecking a charity’s rating can give you a clearer understanding of how your donation could be spent. While you can dig into a specific charity yourself, charity watchdog organizations like Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, an

Gift cards are one of the most-requested holiday gifts, according to the National Retail Federation, and Chase is currently offering a 10% discount on select gift cards through December 2019. All Chase Ultimate Rewards® card members are eligible to receive the 10% discount, except where noted below. Eligible cards include: Chase Freedom®, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card, Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card and

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin warned one of the globe’s largest economic organizations of the consequences new international taxes could have on American business and voiced opposition to the recent introduction of digital services taxes. In a letter to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Mnuchin said the U.S. objects to digital services taxes because they “have a discriminatory impact on U.S.-based businesses.” The French tax imposes a 3% tax on revenues tech companie

LONDON — As NATO members gather in the U.K. to celebrate 70 years since its inception, there are pressing questions about the organization’s future and its relevance on the global landscape. NATO was created in the aftermath of World War II with the overall aim to protect its members against any threats posed by the Soviet Union. U.S. officials have expressed concern over the company’s links to the Chinese government and the security threat it could pose — something which the Shenzhen-based tech

A U.S. sailor at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Hawaii fatally shot two Department of Defense civilian employees Wednesday and injured another before killing himself, military officials said. The shooting took place Wednesday afternoon at Dry Dock 2 of the shipyard which is located at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam said on Twitter that its security forces responded to the shooting, which prompted a lockdown of the base on the southern shore of Oahu. The shooti

President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner has added another role to his long list of White House duties — U.S.-China trade negotiator — as Washington and Beijing try to reach an initial agreement to avoid new U.S. tariffs on Dec. 15. People familiar with the talks said Kushner, who helped bring the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA) to fruition, has increased his direct involvement in the negotiations with China over the past two weeks. A White House official confirmed Kushner’s

Jim Cramer: Plan to buy these digitization plays ‘on the way down'”The companies being thrown away are those that are surfing the biggest secular growth story of our era: the digitization of enterprises,” the “Mad Money’ host says.

Musk apologized for the “pedo guy” tweet during his first day of testimony in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Tuesday. He also argued then, and reiterated on Wednesday, that when he wrote “pedo guy” he meant “creepy old man.” Unsworth’s attorney L. Lin Wood on Wednesday asked whether Musk believed his “pedo guy” comment impacted Tesla shares. Asked if $20 billion was a reasonable estimate, Musk said he didn’t know, but “I think SpaceX and Tesla stock probably amount to that.” At one point

Defying President Donald Trump, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday tapped financial services executive Kelly Loeffler to fill the state’s soon-to-be vacated Senate seat. Collins, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, has been a full-throated defender of the president during the House impeachment process led by Democrats. His appointment to the Senate could have aided Trump when proceedings move to that chamber. Conservative groups aligned with Trump, who also pushed for Collins’

Regarding the UK election on Dec. 12, the oddsmakers and the pollsters say that Boris Johnson is “on course for a comfortable majority.” YouGov also found that 54 per cent thought Mr Johnson came across as more prime ministerial, compared with 29 per cent for Mr Corbyn. Fifty-nine per cent said, however, that the Labour leader was more in touch with ordinary voters, compared with 25 per cent for Mr Johnson. Now that Cummings is running the Johnson campaign, he has chosen a strikingly similar mes

DETROIT – Former General Motors board member Joe Ashton, a retired United Auto Workers leader, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to criminal charges as part of an ongoing federal corruption probe into the union. The guilty plea was part of a deal with U.S. prosecutors that includes Ashton forfeiting $250,000 that he admitted to illegally receiving in bribes and kickbacks from a vendor of the union. Ashton, who resigned from the GM board in December 2017 after being linked to the corruption, pleaded gu

The deal includes the Italian-American automaker investing $9 billion in its U.S. manufacturing, including $4.5 billion in previously announced investments, and the creation of 7,900 U.S. jobs over the life of the contract. Unlike the recent UAW contracts with GM and Ford, Fiat Chrysler was not expected to close any U.S. plants under the terms of the contract. Current employees are expected to be offered jobs at other Fiat Chrysler facilities or at the facility with the supplier. The UAW’s rough

It may be an internet world where memes are here today, gone tomorrow, but teen shoppers are actually loyal to products and brands, Crocs CEO Andrew Rees told CNBC on Wednesday. Teens, apparently, are not just sticking with Crocs — but more and more are choosing to wear them. Crocs ranked as the seventh most popular footwear brand among teens this fall, its highest ranking ever, according to Piper Jaffray’s autumn survey. Shares of Crocs are up well over 400% since Rees became the company’s CEO

RH, the company formerly known as Restoration Hardware, posted fiscal third-quarter earnings Wednesday that topped analysts’ estimates, but left its forecast for the current quarter largely unchanged. After adjustments, the company earned $2.79 per share, exceeding the earnings of $2.23 per share analysts expected, according to Refinitiv. Analysts expected revenue of $676 million. For fiscal year 2019, RH increased its adjusted earnings per share range to between $11.58 and $11.70, and slightly