Hello friends and Fortune readers.
U.S. stock futures are up slightly this morning, while European shares are also gaining narrowly. Asian markets closed the day mixed.
More retailers are reporting earnings today, including Kohl’s (KSS), which reported earlier this morning. J.C. Penney (JCP) and Gap (GPS) will report after the market close.
Here’s what else you need to know today.
1. FCC votes on net neutrality.
The Federal Communications Commission is expected to approve a proposal that would regulate Internet service like a public utility following a nearly year-long debate. This means that companies cannot toggle service to speed it up or slow it down for certain customers or media, and it would prohibit providers from creating Internet fast lanes. Previous regulations approved by the FCC were declared null by a federal court in January last year, and analysts are expecting similar legislative challenges to any approval this time around, as well. Here’s Fortune’s Dan Primack discussing the issue on Boston’s local PBS affiliate.
2. RBS says goodbye to 25 countries.
The Royal Bank of Scotland said it would exit 25 countries where it’s currently operating, cutting its international locations by two-thirds to only 13 countries. RBS will also offload about its North American loans to Japan-based Mizuho Financial Group for about $3 billion. The moves are part of a restructuring plan to turn around the struggling bank, which is expected to post its seventh consecutive annual loss. CEO Ross McEwan is honing the bank’s businesses in an attempt to return the taxpayer-owned bank to private status.
3. Morgan Stanley settles its financial crisis troubles.
Morgan Stanley (MS) will pay $2.6 billion to settle its case with the U.S. government over the bank’s sale of mortgage bonds leading up to the financial crisis. The sum is the largest penalty stemming from the crisis for Morgan Stanley. The U.S. Justice Department said Morgan Stanley misled investors by obscuring the quality of the loans captured within bonds that the bank was selling. Morgan Stanley will use past earnings to pay the fine, retroactively decreasing its 2014 earnings by more than a third.
4. How fast are U.S. prices rising?
The Commerce Department released its latest reading of the U.S. Consumer Price Index this morning, giving insight into how fast prices are rising. In January, prices fell 0.7%, the government said, roughly matching expectations. Overall inflation is likely being held down by low oil prices.
The Federal Reserve will likely be watching the inflation data closely. Fed Chair Janet Yellen made it clear that inflation, not jobs, will be the determining factor for when the central bank decides to raise interest rates. She would like to see inflation move towards the Fed’s annual 2% target “over the medium term” before pulling the trigger on a rate increase.
On CNBC Thursday morning, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said the Federal Reserve should make a change to its policy statement next month that would allow it to monitor inflation readings through the spring and then hike interest rates some time in the summer.
5. HP is looking to buy wifi gear maker.
Hewlett Packard (HPQ) is looking to spend some money to buy wifi network gear maker Aruba Networks (ARUN). A deal could be announced as soon as next week, according to Bloomberg News. It wouldn’t be cheap: Aruba has a market cap of about $2 billion. The struggling PC-maker has been making a massive turnaround attempt as it plans to split itself in two to focus more fully on its distinct businesses: consumer and enterprise. Management has also said it would be on the lookout for valuable assets that could support those units.
[fortune-brightcove videoid=3824458727001]
