Apple's Tim Cook says paying a lot in taxes isn't patriotism

Wall Street continues to go for the gold. All three major averages (^DJI, ^GSPC, ^IXIC) hit fresh record highs in early trading following gains in overseas markets. Meanwhile, oil prices (CL=F) are moving higher after Russia’s energy minister told a Saudi newspaper his country was consulting with Saudi Arabia and other producers to achieve market stability.

Some M&A action in the real estate sector. Mid-America Apartment Communities (MAA) shares on investors’ radars this morning. The real estate investment trust is buying Post Properties (PPS) for about $4 billion. The deal would bring together two major players in the rental apartment market.

Xylem (XYL) is purchasing privately held firm Sensus for $1.7 billion in cash. Sensus makes metering technologies for the water, electric and gas industries. The deal is expected to add to Xylem’s earnings next year.

Honeywell (HON) is also reportedly looking to make an acquisition. The industrial conglomerate is close to a deal to buy privately held JDA Software for around $3 billion, which includes debt. This as it looks to further expand into software.

Tim Cook fires back

Apple (AAPL) is creating some buzz this morning. The company’s CEO Tim Cook fired back at critics who say Apple isn’t paying its fair share of US taxes. That’s from an interview with the Washington Post. Cook says the company wouldn’t bring money back from abroad unless a “fair tax rate” was put in place.

Twitter in talks with Apple

Twitter (TWTR) is reportedly negotiating to bring the Twitter app to Apple TV. That’s according to The New York Times. This would give millions of users access to NFL games this season. Twitter will stream its first NFL game on September 15.

Rio ratings dilemma

NBC’s ratings are down for the Rio Olympics. Despite the excitement with Michael Phelps and Simone Biles, the company is averaging almost 28 million viewers for the first nine nights. That’s down from the 33 million viewers during the London Olympics.