1. Awaiting new stock market records: U.S. stock futures are holding steady following a record-setting Friday.
The Dow Jones industrial average was just a hair away from hitting 20,000 points on Friday before coming back down a bit.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at record highs.
Any moves higher could make Monday’s trading session one for the history books.
There’s less enthusiasm in European markets as many indexes dip a bit in early trading.
Asian markets ended the day with mixed results.
2. Pound gets pounded: The U.K. currency is taking a beating right now, falling against every major global currency by about 1% or more.
It’s currently worth just under $1.22 or about €1.15.
Traders are punishing the pound after U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May said that her objective was a clean break from the European Union, the nation’s biggest trading partner.
“Often people talk in terms as if somehow we are leaving the EU, but we still want to keep bits of membership of the EU,” she said on Sunday. “We are leaving. We are coming out.”
A major Tube strike in London, which has slowed business in the city, probably hasn’t helped matters either.
3. McDonald’s deal: McDonald’s is selling off most of its China business in a deal worth as much as $2.1 billion.
Citic, a massive Chinese financial firm, is taking a majority stake in the McDonald’s operations in mainland China and Hong Kong.
U.S. private equity giant The Carlyle Group is also buying into the investment combo, taking a 28% stake. McDonald’s will hold the remaining 20% of the business.
McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook said the fast food company’s new partners would bring a better understanding of the Chinese market.
4. Fiat Chrysler shares rally: Shares in Fiat Chrysler are rallying in Italy and are set to shoot higher in the U.S. after the company announced a $1 billion investment to expand factories in Ohio and Michigan and create 2,000 new jobs in the U.S.
The announcement is the latest phase in an “industrialization plan” the company announced a year ago.
5. Europe’s painfully-high unemployment: While the U.S. unemployment rate of 4.7% is near its lowest level in a decade, the eurozone’s job market continues to struggle.
New numbers out Monday show eurozone unemployment remained just under 10% in November. The figures showed there were no signs of improvement from the previous month.
6. Coming this week:
Monday – Tenth anniversary of iPhone announcement
Tuesday – Obama delivers farewell address
Wednesday – Trump scheduled to give press conference; Tillerson confirmation hearing
Thursday – Delta earnings
Friday – Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo report earnings