News Highlights: Top Equities Stories Of The Day

TOP STORIES US STOCKS RISE ON JOBLESS CLAIMS, CISCO COMMENTS U.S. stocks rally broadly, pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average back near the 10000 level, thanks to a drop in weekly jobless claims and optimistic comments about the economy from Cisco Systems' chief executive. DOJ CHARGES 14 IN INSIDER-TRADING INVESTIGATION Prosecutors charge 14 people with crimes, including lawyers, a former Moody's analyst, an executive at Atheros Communications and the founder of trading firm Incremental Capital, in an insider-trading case. US 3Q PRODUCTIVITY SURGES; JOBLESS CLAIMS FALL 20,000 U.S. productivity surges in the third quarter to its highest level in six years as the economy emerges from its worst downturn in decades. Meantime, the number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits falls more than expected. IMS HEALTH AGREES TO BE ACQUIRED FOR $4B IMS Health will be acquired by private equity firm TPG Inc. and the Canada Pension Plan for $22 a share, or about $4 billion. Deal also includes the assumption of nearly $1.2 billion in debt. Shares jump 24%. CVS PROFIT JUMPS; SEES BIG CLIENT LOSSES CVS Caremark's 3Q profit rises a stronger-than-expected 39% to $1.02 billion amid revenue gains at its pharmacy-benefits business. CEO says company had some "big client losses" in its Caremark business for next year's season. Shares drop 20%. CIGNA PROFIT SOARS AMID PRIOR YEAR LOSSES Cigna's 3Q earnings soars 92% to $329 million amid declining medical enrollments and prior-year losses at its reinsurance business that is being wound down, exceeding analysts' expectations. Shares up 2%. OCTOBER US RETAIL SALES MIXED Retailers on the cusp of the holiday buying season find consumers still exercising restraint, as October same-store sales come in below expectations, dragged by a poor performance from teen retailers and mixed results from department stores. TIME WARNER CABLE NET FALLS 11% Company's 3Q earnings fall to $268 million, or 76c a share, one cent above analysts' expectations, as revenue rises 3.6% to $4.5 billion. Total subscribership falls 25,000 from 2Q at 14.6 million on lower video customers. JPMORGAN'S RETAIL LOANS MAY FALL 15% Charlie Scharf, the chief executive of the bank's retail financial services division told investors that originations of home equity loans and prime mortgages in particular are "substantially lower" and retail loans overall may fall between 10% and 15% into next year. FBI, IRS RAID FLORIDA LAWYER'S OFFICES Federal agents raid the offices of Scott Rothstein, a Florida attorney under investigation by his law firm concerning $500 million in missing funds, the Miami Herald reports. THOMSON REUTERS PROFIT FALLS 59% AFTER CHARGES Financial data provider's 3Q profit falls to $167 million, or 19c a share, after write-downs and charges. Revenue drops nearly 4% to $3.22 billion, as its markets division continues to be hurt by job losses on Wall Street. ======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES ======= SPECIAL REPORT Blog: Insider Trading Press Conference New York prosecutors charge 14 people with crimes in an alleged $20 million insider-trading case. The arrests are the latest in an ongoing probe into insider-trading by Wall Street hedge funds. See coverage of the press conference. AL'S EMPORIUM Gold Glitters Because Central Bankers Do Not Al Lewis says he wishes he had an ounce of gold for every time somebody told him an ounce of gold was a dumb thing to buy and wishes he had listened to Pierre Lassonde. ============ U.S. MARKETS ACTION =========== DJIA up 172.38 points to 9974.52 NASDAQ up 43.87 points to 2099.39 S&P 500 up 15.99 points to 1062.49 10-year T-note 100 25/32 at 3.529 yield unch NYMEX Spot Crude down $0.59 at $79.81/bbl Dollar/Euro down 0.0001 at 1.4860