TOP STORIES 
 
BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING-WITH THINNER CROWDS 

Millions of Americans left their Thanksgiving meals to hit stores across the country in an annual shopping ritual, but the crowds on early Black Friday morning were thinner than years past at some malls and shopping districts.

DOW ENDS SLIGHTLY LOWER IN SHORTENED SESSION 

The Dow industrials ended lower in an abbreviated, post-Thanksgiving session Friday as energy and consumer discretionary shares posted losses.

MAN OPENS FIRE NEAR A PLANNED PARENTHOOD 

Four police officers were wounded and many other people were injured Friday when a man opened fire near a Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado Springs, authorities said.

FORD DROPS 'FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS' SALES PROMOTION 

Ford Motor Co. is ditching its "Friends & Neighbors" sales campaign after the insider-pricing promotion failed to live up to expectations.

NETHERLANDS TO APPEAL EU DECISION THAT STARBUCKS TAX DEAL IS ILLEGAL STATE AID 

The government of the Netherlands said Friday it would appeal last month's decision by the European Union that its tax ruling with Starbucks amounts to illegal state aid.

CODELCO'S NINE-MONTH NET PROFIT FALLS 47% 

Chile's state-run copper miner Codelco said Friday that its net profit fell 47% in the first nine months of the year, as the decline in copper prices offset higher production and lower costs.

MORTGAGE INSURER CMHC SEES ARREARS RISING IN WESTERN CANADA 

Canada's government-backed mortgage insurer expects an increase in arrears from resource-rich regions in western Canada amid lower commodity prices, but maintains it has enough capital set aside to withstand any hit to housing.

VALE ACKNOWLEDGES TOXIC WASTE IN RIVER 

Brazilian miner Vale acknowledged for the first time the presence of toxic elements in river water following the disastrous failure of a dam at its Samarco joint venture, two days after a critical U.N. report.

PUTIN SNUBS OVERTURES FROM TURKEY'S ERDOGAN AFTER STRIKE 

Russian President Vladimir Putin is refusing to accept overtures from Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan because Turkey has failed to apologize for downing a Russian warplane, the Kremlin said.

BANKRUPTCY JUDGE FINDS TELEXFREE OPERATED A FRAUDULENT SCHEME 

A federal bankruptcy judge formally ruled that TelexFree ran a vast pyramid scheme that ensnared investors around the world, a finding that has been widely anticipated since the company collapsed into chapter 11 protection last year

COLOMBIA'S CENTRAL BANK RAISES BENCHMARK LENDING RATE 

Colombia's central bank raised its key lending rate by 25 basis points, to 5.50%, amid fears of rapidly escalating inflation. The increase follows the bank board's October rate raise of 50 basis points.

DOWNED JET DISRUPTS RUSSIA AND TURKEY WHEAT TRADE 

Tensions following Turkey's shooting down of a Russian jet are disrupting the Black Sea wheat trade, which could push prices higher as some customers look for alternative supplies.

MANAGER IN TAX-FOCUSED TRADING STRATEGIES LEAVES BOFA 

Monuhar Ullah, a senior manager who helped oversee controversial tax-focused trading strategies in Bank of America Corp.'s equities division, is leaving the bank.

U.K. GDP DATA SUGGEST BOE WON'T BE HURRYING TO RAISE INTEREST RATES 

Feeble trade dragged down U.K. economic growth in the third quarter, government statisticians confirmed, as signs of a global slackening suggest the Bank of England will be in no hurry to raise interest rates.

ZAMBIA UNVEILS AUSTERITY MEASURES 

Zambia has announced a program of austerity measures to try to close a gaping budget deficit and restore confidence in southern Africa's third-largest economy amid a copper price slump.

STRESS TEST PRESSURE MAY SEE U.K. BANKS CUT DIVIDENDS 

As the Bank of England makes stress tests more difficult to pass, U.K. banks will have to retain more capital which may see many of them cutting dividend payouts.

FRANCE'S ODDO TRUMPS FOSUN OFFER FOR FUND MANAGER 

Oddo, a French boutique investment-banking and asset-management firm, has made a $805 million offer for Belgium-headquartered rival BHF Kleinwort Benson, trumping an earlier approach by China's Fosun International.

FORMER HSBC SWITZERLAND EMPLOYEE HANDED FIVE-YEAR JAIL TERM 

Hervé Falciani, a former employee at the Swiss branch of HSBC who dispersed once-secret data about the bank's clients, has been given a five-year prison sentence by a Swiss court.

EUROZONE AGREES ON GREEK REFORMS NEEDED FOR FUNDING 

Eurozone finance ministries have agreed on economic reforms Greece needs to implement within the next two weeks to receive $1.1 billion in aid, keeping the country on track in its bailout program.

NEXTERA SELLS TEXAS PLANTS FOR $1.59 BILLION 

NextEra Energy Inc. said Friday it has agreed to sell two Texas natural gas power plants to Energy Future Holdings Corp. for $1.59 billion.

 
 
 
  ======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES ======= 
 
 
Heard on the Street 
AIG BRAWL COULD LEAVE INVESTORS BRUISED 
 

Carl Icahn's battle with AIG's management have pushed the insurance giants shares higher. Investors should beware of turbulence ahead.

 
Moneybeat Blog 
HOW EMC AND DELL COULD MAKE THEIR DEAL MORE PALATABLE 
 

Investors have been wary of Dell Inc.'s $67 billion acquisition of EMC Corp. since the deal was announced on Oct. 12.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 27, 2015 17:05 ET (22:05 GMT)