Big banks are really, really healthy; Zuckerberg has changed Facebook’s mission; Brexit chills investment

Profitable Moment   Qatar Airways' Al Baker is at it again Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker is well known for his undiplomatic statements and controversial decisions. He is the wild card of the industry, whose actions often lead other airline CEOs to roll their eyes and say, "well, that's just Akbar." His audacious bid for 10% of American Airlines is outrageous. American's CEO Doug Parker said the airline isn't "particularly excited" by Qatar's move, calling it "puzzling" as American has been highly critical of Qatar and the Gulf 3 airlines for their alleged illegal government subsidies. From Al Baker's point of view, this deal makes sense. He already owns 20% of IAG, the parent of British Airways. American and IAG are in a massive transatlantic joint venture. Those two and Qatar Airways are all members of the Oneworld alliance too. My guess is that Parker is pretty ticked off while IAG's Willie Walsh is amused. Akbar will be delighted to have stoked the flames. The rest of the industry is saying, "well, that's just Akbar." He's done it again. -Richard.Quest@cnn.com  What's new... what's next   By Matt Egan, Julia Horowitz and Paul R. La Monica of CNNMoney 1. Zuckerberg has changed Facebook's mission Facebeook's CEO told CNN Tech's Laurie Segall he no longer wants to just help people connect. Facebook's new goal? "To give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together." Zuckerberg hopes to do that with Facebook Groups, which has a billion users. It's another sign Facebook feels it can help society -- even as it racks up big ad revenue and profits. Separately, Facebook also launched a new tool to help curb ID theft in India. 2. Banks pay fat dividends, can withstand crisis President Trump has slammed Dodd-Frank as a loan-killing "disaster." But big banks have more cash than they know what to do with these days. Not only did U.S. banks haul in more profits than ever last year, but they handed out near-record dividends. And the Federal Reserve said Thursday that all 34 banks it stress tested would be able to lend even if unemployment spiked to 10% and home prices tumbled. It was the third year in a row that the Fed said all banks would maintain required capital levels in the event of an economic storm. 3. It's official. Business isn't investing in Britain. The man running Britain's economy has warned that uncertainty over Brexit is stopping businesses from investing in the country. Treasury chief Philip Hammond said Thursday that a lot of businesses are holding out until they know the outcome of the talks. The British government kicked off its divorce negotiations with the European Union on Monday. 4. WannaCry cyberattacks are still happening Looks like the WannaCry worm is still crawling through the internet. Just this week, Honda said the ransomware virus infected computers at one of its plants in Japan, disrupting vehicle production. Manufacturing is now back to normal, and Honda has taken precautions to prevent future infections. But it's a stark reminder that WannaCry is still a threat to some computers. 👀 5. Quick Takes: More tears for Sears. Struggling retailer Sears Canada files for bankruptcy Virgin Mobile's new plan: $1 a year. Free hotel stay. Cheap flights. iPhones only Dial T for Trump: President meets with heads of Verizon, AT&T and Sprint Boeing emerges victorious over top rival Airbus at the Paris Air Show Qatar says it can defend economy against what it calls 'blockade' by neighbors Hasbro has a 'Monopoly' with toy fans and investors as rival Mattel struggles Lyft tells employees to not 'gloat' even as Uber remains in crisis mode Airbnb expected to launch a 'premium' listing for home and apartment rentals EpiPen maker Mylan chastised for paying former CEO $98 million John Oliver sued by coal CEO claiming 'character assassination' 6. What's next: Checking in on BlackBerry: The Canadian company may have lost the smartphone battle to iPhones and Androids, but it's still treading water. Can it stay afloat? We'll get a look on Friday when BlackBerry reports earnings before the bell. U.S. home sales: The numbers for May will be out Friday at 10 a.m. The stats could provide insight on what's been a tough season for house hunters, with competition and prices up in real estate markets across the country. Make this newsletter better. Please send us your feedback to CNNMoneyfeedback@turner.com Share Tweet Forward Sign up for CNN Money's morning markets newsletter: Before the Bell Sign up for CNN Money's closing markets newsletter: Markets Now Copyright © 2017 Cable News Network, LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved., All rights reserved. You're receiving this newsletter because you opted in at cnn.com or cnnmoney.com. Our mailing address is: Cable News Network, LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. One CNN Center Atlanta, GA 30303 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences