Yields keep rising, Novo’s tough week, why cat product sales are surging and more in Morning Squawk

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

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Happy Friday. Your morning cup of joe may soon get harder to find, as Starbucks closes more of its stores.

Stock futures are slightly higher this morning following a muted day for the market.

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

1. Feeling 22

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 05: Stock market numbers are displayed on the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on August 05, 2026 in New York City. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Treasury yields took center stage on Wall Street this week as they rocketed to highs not seen in decades. Now, traders are assessing what the moves mean for a swath of assets and wondering whether yields’ rapid climb is an omen that something could break in the market.

Here’s the latest:

2. Downdraft

The Speaker’s chair sits empty during the first session of the 119th Congress, ahead of the vote for Speaker of the House in the House Chamber at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 3, 2025.Mandel Ngan | Afp | Getty Images

The Senate voted down a resolution that would have called for an end to the Iran war by a razor-thin margin yesterday. All but four Republican senators voted against the measure, even as the GOP grapples with concerns that the conflict — and its effect on energy prices — could hinder its candidates’ chances in the midterm elections.

The largest U.S. business groups this week cautioned Trump against a diesel export ban, which the president has said he’s pushed for amid the run-up in energy costs. Industry members have warned that such a move could ultimately raise diesel costs.

Meanwhile, oil prices are lower this morning after Iranian state media reported that Tehran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the country would reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days “if certain conditions are met.”

3. Novo vs. Lilly

The logo of pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk is displayed in front of its offices in Bagsvaerd, Copenhagen, Denmark, Feb. 4, 2026.Tom Little | Reuters

Novo gave a look into its plan to fuel growth beyond its blockbuster weight loss drugs this week. But as CNBC’s Annika Kim Constantino and Elsa Ohlen write, the drugmaker still has work to do to convince investors it can hold its own as Eli Lilly chips away at the Danish drugmaker’s market share.

The drugmaker enjoyed an early lead in the oral weight loss market, thanks to its Wegovy pill, but Lilly CEO Dave Ricks told CNBC earlier this week that one-third of new GLP-1 patients are taking its Foundayo pill. Novo on Monday assured investors that it would have a pipeline of drugs — including some outside of its core obesity and diabetes area — that could enter the market with a bang.

U.S.-listed shares of Novo have dropped more than 10% so far this week, putting the stock on track for its worst performance since February. At the same time, Lilly shares have climbed about 2.5%.

4. Charming Wall Street

Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc., reveals the Muse Charm device during the Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, California, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. Minh Connors | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Meta was late to the generative artificial intelligence race. Now, Wall Street is rewarding the company’s efforts to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself in the consumer AI game.

After revealing its personal agent app Muse earlier this month, the Facebook parent this week unveiled its Muse Charm device in an apparent bid to get ahead of OpenAI and Google. As CNBC’s Jonathan Vanian writes, the device also reflects Meta’s efforts to reduce its reliance on Apple for distribution.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg offered few specifics on what the gadget would actually do, but that didn’t seem to discourage investors. Meta shares have soared nearly 17% this week, on track for their biggest weekly rally since early 2024.

5. Look what the cat dragged in

A cat and a dog beside a Chewy shipping box outside a house in Germantown, New York, on Feb. 20, 2024.Angus Mordant | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Cat owners are splashing out for their feline friends. It’s a treat for pet retailers like Chewy, General Mills and Petco.

The American Pet Products Association estimated that 53 million households owned a cat in 2025 following a recent surge. Executives attributed the rise to the animals’ ability to live in smaller spaces and their lower care costs relative to those of dogs.

Strength in cat product sales can cushion softness in the dog space. As Chewy CEO Sumit Singh put it on an earnings call this month: “Dog seems to be worsening; cat seems to be strengthening.”

The Daily Dividend

Here are some stories to bookmark for the weekend:

— CNBC’s Sean Conlon, Matt Peterson, Diana Olick, Sarah Agostino, Garrett Downs, Spencer Kimball, Elsa Ohlen, Annika Kim Constantino, Jonathan Vanian and Catriona Marangi contributed to this report.

Josephine Rozzelle edited this edition.

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