TOP STORIES 
 
MICROSOFT'S CLOUD BUOYS EARNINGS 

Microsoft's cloud business is growing fast enough to offset stalling revenue from its Windows workhorse. The software giant's posted solid gains in its Office 365 and Azure cloud-computing service in fiscal first quarter, even as Windows revenue growth was flat. That helped the company easily top Wall Street's adjusted earnings and revenue expectations.

STOCKS EDGE DOWN AS INVESTORS FOCUS ON EARNINGS 

Corporate earnings drove some of the day's biggest moves in stocks as major U.S. indexes edged lower.

VERIZON REVIEWING TERMS OF YAHOO DEAL; REVENUE SLIDES 

Verizon Communications reported declining revenue and plunging subscriber growth, and said it is assessing whether it will need to renegotiate its acquisition of Yahoo after a major data breach.

DRAGHI HINTS AT EXTENSION OF ECB BOND PURCHASES 

The European Central Bank kicked back a decision on whether to boost its stimulus, disappointing investors who had hoped for greater clarity from Frankfurt and raising the stakes for its next policy meeting in December.

TESLA SETS PRICE FOR SELF-DRIVING FEATURE 

Tesla Motors Inc. set its retail price for the option that would allow a car to drive fully autonomously at $8,000-and hinted that those who paid it would be able to offset the cost through a ride-hailing network that would compete with Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc.

WALGREENS, RITE AID PUSH BACK MERGER DEADLINE 

Walgreens Boots Alliance and Rite Aid pushed out the deadline to close their $9.4 billion merger to next year amid delays in selling stores the two sides have to divest to get the deal past federal regulators.

APPLE SAYS MANY 'GENUINE' APPLE PRODUCTS ON AMAZON ARE FAKE 

Apple says it has been buying Apple chargers and cables labeled as genuine on Amazon.com and has found nearly 90 percent of them to be counterfeit.

REGULATORS SAY FIRST NBC BANK IN 'TROUBLED CONDITION' 

First NBC Bank Holding Co. shares plunged after the New Orleans lender said regulators deemed it to be in "troubled condition" and restricted its ability to take on debt.

E*TRADE SWINGS TO PROFIT ON BENEFITS FROM OPTIONSHOUSE DEAL 

E*Trade swung to a third-quarter profit as its recent acquisition of online broker OptionsHouse helped drive customer accounts and assets, though a key trading metric declined.

LAWSUIT OVER CELLPHONES AND CANCER HITS A STUMBLING BLOCK 

An appeals court dealt a setback to a long-running lawsuit against the wireless industry over health concerns surrounding cellphones, deciding that a different legal standard for evidence should have been applied.

EU COURT ADVISER BACKS INTEL APPEAL OVER $1.17 BILLION FINE 

An adviser to the European Union's highest court has thrown his weight behind Intel's appeal against a decision by the bloc's antitrust regulator to fine the chip maker $1.17 billion for abusing its market position.

GERMAN FINANCE MINISTER SCHÄ UBLE: GREECE NEEDS ECONOMIC OVERHAULS 

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schä uble said Thursday what debt-ridden Greece needs is economic overhauls, and not debt relief.

BHP BILLITON CHAIRMAN NASSER TO STEP DOWN NEXT YEAR 

BHP Billiton Chairman Jac Nasser plans to step down as chairman of the mining giant, ending a tumultuous six-year run that saw him replace a CEO, oversee a dividend cut and struggle to deal with an environmental disaster in Brazil.

U.S. TREASURY OFFICIAL ENCOURAGES BORROWERS TO SHIFT FROM LIBOR 

A senior U.S. Treasury official on Thursday urged borrowers to move away from Libor, the benchmark interest rate at the heart of a multibillion-dollar manipulation scandal in recent years.

U.S. EXISTING-HOME SALES REBOUNDED IN SEPTEMBER 

A pickup in home sales last month signaled stabilization in the U.S. housing sector despite continued pressure from tight inventory and rising prices.

U.S. JOBLESS CLAIMS CLIMBED IN WEEK FOLLOWING HURRICANE MATTHEW 

The number of Americans seeking first-time jobless benefits rose last week, but the jump could reflect a hurricane striking the Southeast and a bounce back after touching a four-decade low.

BRAZIL CHARGES 21 PEOPLE IN SAMARCO MINING DAM COLLAPSE 

Brazilian federal prosecutors filed homicide charges Thursday against 21 people in connection with a catastrophic dam collapse last year that killed 19 people.

TRAVELERS OPERATING PROFIT FALLS 24% 

Travelers Cos. said its third-quarter operating earnings fell 24%, as premium volume hit a record but the company was up against an unusually strong year-earlier quarter.

NESTLÉ  TO MISS ITS LONG-TERM SALES TARGET, AGAIN 

Nestlé reported subdued sales growth and said it would fall short of a key revenue growth benchmark for a fourth straight year.

PULTEGROUP EARNINGS, REVENUE GROW 

PulteGroup said earnings rose 19% in the third quarter amid better-than-expected new order growth as demand in the U.S. housing market remained solid.

 
 
 
  ======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES ======= 
 
 
Markets Main 
THIS IS NO TIME TO BE TRADING STOCKS, APPARENTLY 
 

Some investors are concerned that recent low average daily trading volume could mean a steady buildup of market anxiety that could lead to a period of unpredictable activity later.

 
Election 2016 
TRUMP RESERVES RIGHT TO CONTEST ELECTION OUTCOME 
 

Donald Trump reiterated his refusal to commit to accepting the results of the presidential election, telling a rally in Ohio that his controversial debate response was "designed to protect the voters."

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 20, 2016 17:14 ET (21:14 GMT)