The metal sell-off, Disney earnings, the ‘Melania’ movie and more in Morning Squawk

The metal sell-off, Disney earnings, the ‘Melania’ movie and more in Morning Squawk


This is CNBC’s Morning Squawk newsletter. Subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox.

Good morning. America’s favorite groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, saw his shadow this morning, meaning we’re in for six more weeks of winter. After the recent string of cold temperatures, I can’t say I’m surprised.

Stock futures are sliding this morning. The three major indexes are coming off a losing day.

Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:

1. All that glitters

Gold extended its blistering rally on Thursday as investors sought safety amid geopolitical and economic uncertainties, while silver almost hit $120.

Rticknor | Istock | Getty Images

The three major indexes rose in January, despite ending the trading month ended on a sour note. Sell-offs in silver and crypto have meanwhile raised alarm in some of the market’s more speculative corners.

Here’s what to know:

2. Experience economy

A water tower stands at Walt Disney Studios on June 3, 2025 in Burbank, California.

Mario Tama | Getty Images

Disney beat analyst expectations on both lines in its first fiscal quarter, sending shares up 3% this morning. Notably, CFO Hugh Johnston told CNBC that the company’s experiences division — which houses its theme parks, resorts and cruises — hit $10 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time ever.

As investors parse through the report, there’s one question lingering on everyone’s minds: Who will succeed CEO Bob Iger? Disney previously said it would announce its next leader in the first quarter of this year. The company’s board is slated to meet this week and expected to vote on Iger’s successor, people familiar with the matter told CNBC.

The entertainment giant’s report kicks off a busy week for earnings that will include releases from PepsiCo, Chipotle, Alphabet and Amazon.

3. Déjà vu

A pedestrian jogs across the East Front Plaza during morning hours on November 10, 2025 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

Tom Brenner | Getty Images

The government partially shut down over the weekend after Congress failed to get a funding bill across the finish line. The Senate approved a package of bills ahead of the deadline, but the deal also needed approval from the House of Representatives, which wasn’t scheduled to be in Washington until today.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said yesterday that he believes the shutdown could be resolved by Tuesday. The House is expected to take up the Senate-approved spending package today. If it’s passed by the House, it will head to President Donald Trump’s desk.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department on Friday released millions of pages of documents tied to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick were among those whose names appeared in the latest release.

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4. The skinny

Ben and Jerry’s ice cream is displayed on a shelf at a grocery store on March 19, 2025 in San Anselmo, California.

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

Food producers are looking to cut some fat.

As CNBC’s Amelia Lucas reports, companies in the industry have been splitting up or chopping off underperforming businesses. The moves come as regulatory scrutiny heats up and consumer demand for processed goods shrinks.

Kraft Heinz and Keurig Dr Pepper two such companies planning splits, while Unilever spun off its ice cream business last year. There could be more examples in the pipeline: A Bain survey found 42% of merger-and-acquisitions executives in the consumer product sector are preparing an asset to be up for sale over the next three years.

5. Movie night

A movie poster for the documentary “Melania” featuring U.S. first lady Melania Trump is displayed in New York, U.S., Jan. 26, 2026.

Jeenah Moon | Reuters

“Melania,” Amazon‘s documentary of first lady Melania Trump, earned $7 million at the domestic box office in its debut this weekend. As CNBC’s Sarah Whitten notes, that’s the highest-grossing opening for a non-music documentary in over a decade.

Women and people over 55 drove ticket sales for screenings, with the two demographics together accounting for more than 70% of moviegoers. Rural theaters also represented an outsized share of box office grosses.

Amazon spent an estimated $40 million to acquire the film and reportedly an additional $35 million on marketing. While review sites are full of positive writeups, the movie has been largely panned by critics.

The Daily Dividend

Here’s what we’re following this week:

CNBC’s Fred Imbert, Chloe Taylor, Lee Ying Shan, Arjun Kharpal, Lillian Rizzo, Julia Boorstin, Garrett Downs, Lora Kolodny, Amelia Lucas, Sarah Whitten, as well as The Associated Press, contributed to this report. Josephine Rozzelle edited this edition.



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