TOP STORIES 
 
AUTO SALES ON TRACK FOR BEST NOVEMBER SINCE 2001 

Car sales are on track to reach their highest November sales volume since 2001, as Black Friday deals against a favorable economic backdrop helped buoy a traditionally sluggish month damped by fewer selling days.

FED'S EVANS HAS 'SOME NERVOUSNESS' ABOUT RAISING RATES IN DECEMBER 

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Charles Evans said he remains wary of raising short-term interest rates at the Federal Reserve's mid-December policy meeting, but said it's more important that officials clearly communicate their intention to raise rates at a gradual pace.

STOCKS CLIMB AHEAD OF DATA, EXPECTED ECB STIMULUS 

U.S. stocks rose Tuesday as investors looked ahead to key economic data and the prospect of additional stimulus from the European Central Bank.

U.S. FACTORY ACTIVITY HITS 6-YEAR LOW 

U.S. factory activity in November fell to the lowest level since the end of the recession, as a weak global economy and strong dollar continued to buffet the manufacturing sector.

VALE CUTS IRON-ORE PRODUCTION GUIDANCE 

Brazilian mining giant Vale cut its production guidance for iron ore by nearly 10% in 2016, as a global surplus of the steelmaking material continues to weigh on prices.

PUERTO RICO AVOIDS DEFAULT 

Prices of some Puerto Rico bonds rallied after Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said the U.S. Commonwealth would begin clawing back revenue from other debt to provide for essential public services and pay obligations backed by the government's full faith and credit.

SAUDIS WILL 'DISCUSS' POLICY AT OPEC MEETING 

Saudi Arabia's Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi, under pressure to take action to prop up crude prices at this week's OPEC meeting, took a conciliatory tone, saying the kingdom would have a discussion about the group's next step.

CHINA'S QIHOO 360 MOVING CLOSER TO $9 BILLION BUYOUT 

The investor group offering to buy out Qihoo 360 Technology Co. is nearing a $9 billion definitive agreement to pay around $77 per share to acquire the U.S.-listed Chinese Internet security company.

NISSAN CONSIDERS RAISING STAKE IN RENAULT TO 25% 

Japanese auto maker's board is discussing raising its stake in French partner Renault to at least 25% from 15% to counter the prospect of greater French government influence in the two companies' operations.

VOLKSWAGEN RECALLS VEHICLES IN INDIA 

Volkswagen AG is recalling 323,700 vehicles in India related to the emissions-cheating software scandal.

NEARLY HALF OF U.S. HOMES USE CELLPHONES ONLY, CUTTING CORD 

Nearly half of U.S. households only use cellphones, according to new federal statistics that show more and more people are cutting the cord on landlines.

EXPRESS SCRIPTS FINDS WAY TO AVOID COSTLY TURING DRUG 

Drug-benefit manager Express Scripts will use a custom compounding company to make a $1 alternative to Turing Pharmaceuticals' anti-parasitic pill Daraprim, whose price jumped more than 50-fold earlier this year.

LIBOR MASTERMIND TOM HAYES APPEALS JAIL SENTENCE 

Lawyers for Tom Hayes, convicted in August as the architect of a global interest-rate-rigging scandal, argued Tuesday for his conviction to be overturned and his 14-year prison sentence to be reduced.

NEW YORK GOVERNOR PROPOSES ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING RULES 

New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo proposed stringent new anti-money-laundering regulations meant to curb money flows through the state's financial system from known terror organizations and other criminals.

TMX GROUP AIMS TO BOOST VENTURE-EXCHANGE ACTIVITY 

Canada's largest stock-exchange operator said Tuesday it plans a series of changes to boost activity at the TSX Venture Exchange, the country's main equity market for early-stage companies

HEDGE FUND BLUECREST CAPITAL TO RETURN OUTSIDE CLIENTS' MONEY 

BlueCrest Capital Management, once one of Europe's biggest hedge funds, is to stop managing money for outside clients after a sharp drop in assets and a run of poor returns from its flagship fund.

RWE TO SELL PART OF ITS RENEWABLE ENERGY BUSINESS 

German utility RWE plans to pool its renewable energy, grids and retail business into a new company and sell off a minority stake in the new unit by the end of next year.

BRAZIL'S ECONOMIC CRISIS DEEPENS, WITH BIG GDP DROP 

Brazil's recession deepened in the third quarter, killing jobs and shutting down businesses amid political turbulence that is pushing back forecasts of a recovery.

CANADA'S ECONOMY REBOUNDS 

Canada's economy expanded in the third quarter on the strength of exports and consumer spending, shaking off some of the negative effects of a commodity-price slump.

BANK OF ENGLAND TO EASE CAPITAL PRESSURE ON U.K. BANKS 

The Bank of England said it would ease pressure on U.K. banks to hold more capital, drawing a line under years of post-crisis reforms aimed at making the banking sector safer.

 
 
 
  ======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES ======= 
 
 
Moneybeat Blog 
JOBS REPORT PREVIEW: IS ANY NUMBER TOO LOW FOR THE FED'S LIKING? 
 

Unless Friday morning's nonfarm payrolls report from the Labor Department comes in drastically lower than anybody is predicting, it will almost certainly bolster the case for the Fed to raise interest rates when it meets later this month.

 
Business 
HOW BIG FOOD IS USING NATURAL FLAVORS TO WIN CONSUMER FAVOR 
 

Food scientists are testing hundreds of combinations of fruits, vegetables and spices to find natural flavors and colors that can be added to packaged foods as consumers shun artificial ingredients.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 01, 2015 13:00 ET (18:00 GMT)