TOP STORIES 
 
ECB HOLDS FIRM ON RATES DESPITE RECENT DATA 

The European Central Bank kept interest rates unchanged at record lows as officials wait to see if aggressive stimulus measures announced in June and September are enough to boost inflation and provide a lift to the eurozone's fragile economy.

 
U.S. JOBLESS CLAIMS FALL 8,000 
 

Initial claims for unemployment benefits decreased by 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 287,000 in the week ended Sept. 27, the Labor Department said. That was below the 297,000 claims economists expected.

 
U.S. STOCKS OPEN LOWER 
 

U.S. stocks open lower after the previous day's sharp losses. Stocks tumbled yesterday to their lowest levels since mid-August on worries about global growth.

 
BERKSHIRE TO BUY CAR DEALERSHIP GROUP 
 

Berkshire Hathaway unveiled plans to enter the auto dealership market. Warren Buffett's firm agreed to buy Van Tuyl Group, the largest privately owned auto dealership group in the U.S. Financial terms weren't disclosed.

 
CONSTELLATION BUYS GLASS PLANT IN BOOST FOR MEXICO BEER BUSINESS 
 

Constellation Brands made a bigger bet on its beer operations, saying it agreed to buy a Mexican glass factory from Anheuser-Busch InBev for $300 million.

 
DARDEN TOUTS SALES GROWTH AHEAD OF PROXY VOTE 
 

Darden Restaurants said sales increased for most of its chains in September and it expects earnings for the current quarter to come in at the higher end of its guidance.

 
DOW CHEMICAL TO DIVEST THREE MORE BUSINESSES 
 

Dow Chemical said it is marketing three of its businesses for divestment, and it now expects the proceeds of its entire divestiture program to be at the higher end of its $4.5 billion to $6 billion range.

 
MCCORMICK TOPS VIEWS, BOOSTS OUTLOOK 
 

McCormick & Co.'s 3Q profit rose 18% to $122.9 million, or 94c a share, on strong international sales in its consumer business segment. Earnings far outpaced analysts' view, and the seasoning maker boosted its full-year earnings outlook.

 
ALLIANZ NAMES NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE 
 

Less than a week after Pimco co-founder Bill Gross left the firm, the asset manager's German parent company, Allianz, said its top executive is also on his way out.

 
HONG KONG POLICE VOW TO STOP PROTESTERS 
 

The standoff between police and pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong threatened to come to a head as student demonstrators prepared to block more government buildings and police vowed to stop them.

 
SEARS TO RAISE $380M IN SEARS CANADA RIGHTS OFFERING 
 

Cash-strapped Sears Holdings launched a new measure to help boost liquidity heading into the holiday shopping season, this one including another lifeline from its CEO as part of a plan to sell most of its 51% stake in Sears Canada to its shareholders.

 
 
 
 
  ======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES ======= 
 
 
Grand Central 
WORLD TORN BETWEEN ECB AND FED PATHS, WSJ SURVEY SHOWS 
 

For a useful overview of the state of global central banking, it's worth reviewing The Wall Street Journal's third quarter outlook for central banks in 25 economies as far south as New Zealand and north as Norway. Sign up here for The Wall Street Journal's daily report on global central banks.

 
Capital Journal Daybreak 
OBAMA BEGINS MIDTERM PUSH 
 

After contending with foreign-policy crises and a shakeup at the Secret Service, President Obama is seeking to shift attention back to the economy and midterm elections. Sign up here for The Wall Street Journal's morning rundown of the biggest news driving Washington.